


Brave

by RuddiestBubbles



Series: #ProjectReWrite [1]
Category: MindCrack RPF
Genre: #ProjectReWrite, F/M, M/M, Real Life, UHC, adult sturf happens, idk man tags are hard, just be warned XD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-02-03 18:05:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12753417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuddiestBubbles/pseuds/RuddiestBubbles
Summary: It all starts with UHC. Or maybe it was before that, there wasn’t an exact point that can be pinned down, except for that night. Season 7 was truly an epic thing, one he’ll remember forever, and what he references as the starting point, but the starting point to what, now that’s the real question. A truly amazing friendship, content to be remembered for ages, awkward times to be able to go back and laugh at far in the future. Oh, it’ll be remembered for a lot, but the love story it starts, well, that’s a completely different story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all!!! So I've got something new for ya. This is the gonna be the first thing that's part of a little thing I'm calling #ProjectReWrite. I actually never posted any of this story here, it was only ever on my wattpad, but I can promise you it was cringy and horrendously written. But! I've started rewriting it, hence the project title. I'll be posting every Friday at no specific time. But it'll be every Friday! Hope you guys are excited for this!
> 
> Also, shout out to my lovely Beta, TheAmazingPikachu

When skype rings, Kurt answers it. 

 

“Heyo!” Is Zisteau’s greeting. 

 

He just can’t help but chuckle. “Well aren’t you enthusiastic today?” 

 

“Well duh! I get to spend time with you.” Zisteau laughs, sounding mischievous. 

 

“That doesn’t sound promising.”

 

“Oh it is.” he can hear the smirk in his voice. 

 

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

 

“Both.” 

 

He laughs, because what else is he supposed to do when Zisteau is being like this. “Should we get started?” 

 

“Sure, just give me a minute to get over there.” 

 

He nods, even though he  _ knows _ that Zisteau won’t see him. But that’s okay, Zisteau understands his silence now, knows that words aren’t always his strong suit, and that if he’s quiet, he means more than he knows how to express with words. Somehow, they’ve gotten to this point in their friendship, and he doesn’t quite get how. He’s never been close to anyone like this, hasn’t felt like he can depend on someone like this, like he can be himself, even if he doesn’t always like who he is, he can be himself with Zisteau and it doesn’t matter. 

 

He can’t pinpoint the exact moment they clicked. He knows it happened during UHC season 7. But there wasn’t an exact moment where he can distinctly remember himself being like “okay, this is your new best friend”, but it happened. And, sometimes he wishes he could remember exactly when it happened; he wants to take that moment, stick it in a jar and savor it forever, never letting that feeling go.

 

“Alright, so what’s the plan?” Zisteau asks, his character appearing on his screen.

 

“Digging out the silo?” he says with a smirk, snark clear in his deep voice. 

 

“Oh har har, so funny.”

 

“I know I am, thanks!” How he got to this point, he’s not sure, he’s never been like this with anyone, not without it sounding extremely forced, or it being his sister. But, this is nice, it’s new and he hates change, but this change is nice. 

 

Zisteau laughs, and it’s a great thing. “Alright Mr. Snarky, let’s get to work now or we will seriously never get anything done.”

 

“Never getting anything done, now doesn’t that sound familiar.” he chirps, because he loves Zisteau’s laugh. And that’s a weird thought, loving someone’s laugh, he doesn’t think he’s ever loved someone’s laugh before. 

 

“Oh you hush.” Zisteau says, and it’s soft, not like the playfulness before. 

“Let’s get to work, I have TNT to speed up the process.” 

 

“Awesome.”

 

“Indeed?”

 

“Indeed!” Because this seems to be their thing now.

 

They do end up getting quite a bit done. The TNT only goes so far and prompts a trip to Etho’s base, which inquires even more joking around. And so much laughing. He can’t stop laughing, Zisteau is a funny person, and there are these moments, where maybe he doesn’t sound quite so funny anymore, it’s more soft, in the moment, something he can’t quite place as to what it is. But, these moments don’t last, they are gone just as quick as they started and then they’re laughing again, and he never realized it could hurt to smile so much. 

 

“I seriously can’t believe you,” Zisteau laughs, “How have you never seen that movie! It’s a classic.” 

 

“It’s a classic.” He mimics, smirking, but can’t stop laughing. 

 

“It is!” Zisteau defends, but he’s laughing too. “We’ll just have to change that then.”

 

“Oh will we?”

 

“Yeah, you’ll have to watch it.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Why yes it is.” 

 

It’s quiet for a moment, but only a moment. 

 

“Shit. I’ve got to go. I’m running late for a date.”

 

“A date?” Kurt asks, and suddenly it’s not really funny anymore.

 

“Yeah, something my friend Sam set up. He likes to think I’m lonely,” Zisteau quips, and that gets a laugh out of Kurt.

 

“Well you better get going then, Mr. Lonely.”

 

Zisteau chuckles, and it’s slightly breathy. “Alright, see ya.” 

 

And the call disconnects. And he’s still laughing. And he really doesn’t want Zisteau to go, wants to keep talking to him and laughing, and hearing his laugh. He doesn’t want Zisteau’s date to get that, to get to hear and see how wonderful it is… how wonderful he is. And he doesn’t get it. He doesn’t get why that’s so important, this is his best friend, his best bro, he  _ shouldn’t  _ want Zisteau to miss opportunities like this, but he does, and that’s the problem. 

 

~~~

 

Zisteau is quick to get dressed, seeing as he’s already running a bit later then he’d like to be. He likes to show up a little early; he is a gentleman after all. And even though he doesn’t always enjoy these, he knows how to act. After he’s got on a decent long sleeve button up and dark jeans, he’s out the door, car keys in hand. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll actually enjoy himself this time. But, he kinda really doubts it. He never really has fun on these dates. None of the girls he’s ever set up with are his type. In all honesty, he doesn’t really know his own type. Dating has never really been a thing for him. Not even in high school when everyone was pairing up and flashing heart eyes like it was nothing, he never really went for it. 

 

He arrives at the restaurant right on time, and the waiter seats him. And, surprisingly enough, his date isn’t there yet. So, he sips his water, and tears off a bit of a breadstick and pops it into his mouth. Five minutes have gone by and his cup of water has started sweating, dripping slowly onto the table, getting the white cloth wet. He pulls out his phone, shooting Kurt a message.

 

Z: I may be getting stood up. 

 

His phone pings a few seconds later, and that makes him smile softly .

 

K: Oh no, how long have you been waiting?

 

Z: Only about 8 minutes, but I’m losing hope here.

 

K: I could always come keep you company ;)  

 

That startles a loud laugh out of him, and he smiles, and just keeps laughing.

 

Z: That would be way better than this for sure

 

“Tyler?” 

 

His head snaps up, taking in the woman in front of him. She’s pretty, long blonde hair falling to her mid-back in gentle waves, framing her slim face, and she’s fairly short, but her black heels make up for it. She’s got a nice smile, and it seems teasing, in a gentle way. 

 

“Um yes, hi,” He says, standing up to greet her properly, “May, right?”

 

“Yup. Got a cute date you’re talkin’ to on there?” She’s got a lilt to her voice, very playful and mischievous. 

 

That makes him blush, and shove his phone in his pocket. That is one hundred percent not a thought he needs to ponder right now, definitely not. 

 

“Ah no, just a friend.” 

 

They both sit down and order drinks; a glass of wine each, before ordering their food. 

 

“So, tell me about yourself.” He tries, feeling awkward and totally out of his element. This is a date. This is how to act on dates, right? Is there even proper date etiquette at all? 

 

“Well,” She starts, tugging at the end of her dress. “I actually own the small bakery downtown, that really takes up most of my time.” 

 

Now that she says it, he can notice the calluses on her hands, and the slight circles under her eyes, but she wears a happy, easy smile. “How long have you owned it?” 

 

“Going on ten years now.”

 

“That’s awesome.”

 

“Pretty boring actually,” She tucks her golden locks behind her ears, “What about you, handsome?” 

 

He really is feeling quite uncomfortable. “I’m actually a youtuber.” Just keep it simple, then maybe she won’t question it too much. 

 

“Youtuber? That’s pretty awesome.” She bats her eyelashes. “What do you record?”

 

“Generally just gaming videos, really nothing special.” 

 

“I think that’s pretty special.” She comments, and leans over the table slightly. 

 

And, that’s when the food arrives, just in the nick of time, because he was getting very uncomfortable with this whole situation. The waiter hands out the food and tops off the wine glasses, of which his own he has barely touched, just a few sips. He doesn’t want to drink too much, he wants to be himself because he  _ knows  _ what he gets like drunk. 

 

It gets quiet while they eat, and he’s okay with it, though it’s still awkward for him. Why is he like this. He should enjoy going out on dates with beautiful women, and enjoy the teasing and flirting of it, but he doesn’t. He always feels so off his game every time, and not in a good way. He just wants to be back at home, digging a hole with Kurt. And isn’t that a crazy thought. 

 

The rest of the meal is equally as unpleasant with small talk and May progressively getting flirtier as she drinks more wine. He doesn’t even wanna think about the bill right now. Eventually, he can make the excuse that it’s late and he should really be going to get out of the date.

 

“You sure you don’t wanna take me back to your place?” She asks, playing with the collar on his shirt, painted red lips pulled back in a filthy smile. 

 

He takes a deep breath and carefully removes her hands from his shirt. “I’m actually not interested. Plus you’re definitely not sober, which is a no go in my books.” 

 

“Awww, what a party pooper.” 

 

“Alright, I’m getting you an uber.” He sighs, already in the process of ordering it. 

 

She actually pouts, and it’s kind of adorable, in a way. While they wait for the uber to arrive, he pays, and it’s not an amount he’s particularly comfortable forking over. Once the car shows up, he walks her out to the curb where it’s parked, and she stops before climbing into the car. “Here’s my number handsome, call me sometime.” She winks, slipping a napkin into his hand. 

 

“Have a goodnight, May.” He says as a way of parting, and gives a small wave as the car pulls away. 

 

He heads to his own car, and drives home, ready to be done with the day. Once home, he tosses his keys into the bowl by the door and unbuttons his shirt, chucking it towards the hamper, and more than likely missing before falling backwards onto his bed. The sudden sound of his phone ringing startles him, and he almost flings it across the room, but manages to keep ahold of it and answer.

 

“T! My dude how was the date? “ Came Sam’s overly obnoxious voice.

 

“Awkward. Very awkward.” He says with a grimace. “She got drunk and was basically throwing herself at me.” 

 

“And you didn’t go after that?” 

 

“A. Not gonna do that if they aren’t sober, and B. I wasn’t interested.”

 

“Didn’t like her?”

 

“No, not really.” 

 

“Huh. This is like the fifth time dude, and I’ve known you practically your whole life, and I haven't seen you interested in a girl since Amanda, what’s up with that. Are you just not into that?”

 

“I’m….. I’m not sure anymore.”

 

“Well it’s whatever dude, I support you no matter what. And if you want another date, just let me know.” He can practically hear the wink in his voice. 

 

“Alright Sam, well I’ll talk to you later, okay?” 

 

“Yeah, see ya man.” 

 

He hangs up and just stares at his phone for a second, so much on his mind. But mostly,  _ why am I like this? Why can’t I just go out on dates and enjoy myself? Is it really too much to ask to feel normal? To be able to do what other guys do with no problems?  _ The little Skype notification is blinking on the top of his screen, and has obviously been there for atleast an hour, so he opens it, and immediately drops his phone, just from seeing the message, with a slight gasp and he feels a blush rising to his cheeks. 

 

K: I’m always willing to be a distraction if you need it ;3 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So there’s a guy?”
> 
> “Yeah, there’s a guy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, thanks to my lovely beta TheAmazingPikachu

Zisteau’s honestly not sure how he makes it through the weekly meeting, not with Kurt talking, and laughing quietly at Pause’s antics. It almost feels like he can’t breathe, like there’s a hand clenched around his lungs. But it’s not a bad thing. He listens to every single word Kurt says, and that’s all he can seem to focus on, because when he’s not talking, he just kinda zones out; thinking about Kurt. Because that’s all he can think about lately, ever since the date with May. He literally can’t focus on anything else, not work, not life in general, that’s for sure. He accidentally over filled his coffee cup earlier because the coffee reminded him of Kurt, and how he always has to have a cup of coffee before he does anything, especially that morning where they were both up early to do a prank on the server. It was a mess. He is a mess; a real disaster. 

Kurt is talking again, and he’s going to go to minecon, if he reaches his goal for FLOB which is happening this weekend. And that excites him. 

“I’ll be going,” He hears himself say, even though he hasn’t even considered it, hasn’t even thought about the costs of flying to Paris and the hotel. But he knows one thing’s for sure: he wants to meet Kurt in person, and that’s such a scary thought. What’s even more terrifying is that he can already imagine it: the snarky grin, the mischievous glint in his blue eyes, the way his cheeks and tips of his ears turn a delightful pink when embarrassed. It’s something he wants so bad, and that terrifies him. 

~~~

It’s a while later, while he’s making his way back to the town hall when his phone rings, and he hates that he grimaces when he sees the name. 

“Hey Sam,” He greets: simple, easy.

“Hey T! Whatcha up to?” Sam is just as excitable as ever.

“About to record.”

“Well, I’ve got a proposition for ya!”

“Sam listen,” He starts, not letting his friend continue, “I really don’t want to go on another date. Not right now: I’m just really confused, and I don’t need that on top of it, okay?” 

Sam’s quiet for a moment, and when he talks, his voice is soft and careful. “You okay Tyler?” 

He sighs, leaning back in his chair, his head falling back against the headrest, “I don’t know,” And it’s true, he doesn’t. He’d never been able to be anything but completely honest with Sam, and that’s something that’s stuck with him throughout their almost life long friendship. 

“You wanna talk about it?” 

“I…” And he stops, because he actually does. “Yeah, I think I do.” 

“I’ll tell ya what. I’ll come over later with a meat lovers pizza with extra cheese and a bottle of scotch and we’ll talk.” 

He smiles, because he loves his best friend so fiercely. “Sounds perfect.” He sighs, and his body seems to deflate, tension releasing from his shoulders. “How’s five sound?”

“I’ll see ya then.” 

He sets his phone down, a small smile on his face. Maybe he’ll get through this. And then skype rings and he’s not so sure anymore. 

“Hey Zisteau,” Kurt greets, in that adorable way only Kurt pronounces his name, putting an emphasis on the i. 

“Hey Kurt.” He responds, and it feels like he can’t breathe again. 

“You ready to get your ass handed to you?” Kurt asks, all snark and sass. 

And all he can do is laugh, and try to ignore the hand squeezing the air from his lungs, “I think the real question is: are you ready to place a bet on that?” 

And the thing is, he totally would. 

~~~ 

He’s one hundred percent ready for scotch by the time five rolls around, and Sam shows up right on time, because he’s always been punctual. 

“You look like shit dude,” Is how Sam greets him, but he’s all smiles, despite the clear abundance of concern in his light brown eyes. 

“Thanks man, kinda feel like it too.” 

Sam drags him to the living room, forcing him to sit on the couch as he puts on Jurassic World and sets the pizza on the coffee table. He automatically goes for the brand new bottle of scotch, and takes a long drink of it, loving the familiar burn down his throat. 

“So tell me,” Sam starts, grabbing a slice of pizza and biting off the end of it, “What’s up?”

“I just can’t stop thinking,” And that’s all he can seem to say, words falling from his grasp. And he takes another long drink of the scotch. 

“About the dates?” Sam prompts, giving him a quick side-eye, before focusing back on the tv. Sam knows he doesn’t like to talk when they’re face to face, that’s just not how he works. 

“Yeah,” He sighs out, “When I was waiting for May to show up, I was messaging a friend and that’s when May walked in and made a comment about a cute date, and that just… I just… couldn’t.” 

Sam’s quiet, his eyes on the tv, but his full attention on him. 

“He’s always on my mind,” His voice is quiet: it’s a soft little admittance. And he hates that it has come to that, but he also doesn’t. “I just can’t stop thinking about him. I can’t focus. And when it’s just me and him, I feel like I can’t breath.” 

And that’s when Sam looks at him, brown eyes speculating, brows furrowed. The constantly changing colors from the tv show on the side of Sam’s face, and somehow, it makes this all so much more real, because this isn’t something they do. 

“Do you like him?” And that’s familiar, the directness of Sam, always getting to the point, because that’s just who he is. 

“I….” This isn’t familiar though, not being able to talk, he’s always been good with words, but right now, he just can’t. “I don’t know.” His lips are pulled into a tight line, with just the very edges turned down in a small frown. 

“Tell me,” Sam starts; his words are slow, very calculated and thought through, “about him.”

“Well. Uhm,” He doesn’t know where to start. There’s too much about Kurt to tell, too much he wants Sam to know. “His laugh,” He begins, and he’s talking slow like he’s not sure he can find the exact words to describe it, “It’s just amazing. Like his voice is deep, kind of like a radio announcer in a way, but I feel like I could listen to it for hours.” He takes another long drink of scotch, and listens to dinosaurs roar in the background, “There’s just so much about him. Like, he gets this smirk whenever he’s about to make a joke. He’s always ready for a joke, always has a new one to spout out, and they are always funny. He’s always funny. And he always knows just what to say to make me laugh. He’s just so perfect,” And he stops, because that’s not a thought he’s ever had before, and it terrifies him. “I’ve never…. I’ve never felt this way before,” And that’s probably the truest thing he’s ever said. 

“It’s okay to be confused,” Sam says softly, his body angled towards him, the movie still playing in the background, steam still slowly wafting off the pizza; none of this is normal, and maybe that’s okay.

“I know.” And for once, that’s true. 

The tv plays in the background, the steam continues to rise, he takes another long drink, Sam’s eyes are on him. And none of this is normal. 

~~~

It’s three in the morning, and he shouldn’t be awake, but he is. He's on the server, digging up block after block of sand - dumb idea to build with sandstone, he knows that, but here he is. No one else is online, and it’s quiet in his room, in an almost unsettling way. The scotch is still in his system, though he’s barely even buzzed at this point, but it’s still enough to make him feel loose and easy. Digging sand is mindless, in a calming way. He can dig, and he doesn’t have to think, not about the game, not about each and every piece of sand that breaks, then goes into his inventory with a ‘pop’. 

He’s got a cup of coffee sitting next to his keyboard, but it stopped steaming an hour or so ago, left mostly untouched, along with a glass of water, which was forced upon him by Sam before he took his leave, pizza stowed away in the fridge, scotch on the counter. He should probably go to bed and try to sleep, but sleep just doesn’t seem tangible right now, not with his thoughts still going around in circles, like racecars on an endless oval, constantly going, even when their gages read empty. Which is where he’s at right now, he feels like he’s on empty, running on fumes, yet he just doesn’t feel like he can stop. Not until he’s run himself to some sort of conclusion, gives him some sort of an answer to a question he doesn’t truly understand. He wants to understand. He wants to get why he feels this way. 

His Skype pings with a notification. 

K: You’re still up too?

He smiles softly, and he can mostly breath.

Z: Yeah, can’t sleep.

K: Me either. Whatcha up to?

Z: Digging sand

K: Sounds like fun, want some company?

And his smile grows, ever so slightly. 

Z: I’d love some company.

Kurt’s login notification pops up on his screen, then his Skype rings, and he answers. 

“Hey man.” He greets, and his tongue feels heavy in his mouth. 

“Hi.” Kurt greets with a soft chuckle, “Are you drunk?” 

He’s never heard Kurt’s voice like this. He’s heard it with a gentler tone, but not like this. Not all tired and soft, sleepy like he’s just barely awake. And it makes his heart flutter in a way he’s never felt before.

“Only slightly,” He giggles, and okay, maybe he’s a little drunker than he thought. 

Kurt laughs again, and he can hear the rapid clicking of Kurt’s space bar. “Need a bit of a night on the town?” Kurt suggests with the breathiest little laugh, and it makes his heart do that weird thing again. 

“No actually,” He’s not sure exactly what he wants to say, but he knows what he shouldn’t, “Sam came over and brought scotch. We talked about some stuff,” He pauses, and runs a hand down his face, then takes a long drink of water, “See there’s this guy, and I have no clue what to do, because like, he’s amazing and perfect, and I think I really like him,” That was definitely not what he was going to say, not even close, “I didn’t even know I liked dudes, like how is this a thing? Why is it a thing?” He seriously should shut up, yet he doesn’t, “But there’s no way I don’t like him. Not with everything that’s happened lately. It’s just so hard to deny now.” He does finally stop, and he’s terrified because he really shouldn’t have said that much, said anything on the matter, to be frank. He’s such a goddamn idiot sometimes. 

Kurt’s quiet for several seconds, all sounds from his end non existent, “So there’s a guy?” Is what he finally says, and it’s still in that soft, sleepy voice, and in no way judgemental. 

“Yeah,” He sighs, watching Kurt’s character appear on his screen, “There’s a guy.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks to my lovely beta, TheAmazingPikachu

“I really don’t know Z,” Kurt says with a sigh, long and drawn out. He’s tired. So tired. To the point where he feels like he could sleep for forty eight hours and it still wouldn’t be enough. But he can’t sleep, not at all. He’s spent every night since FLOB tossing and turning. “I just can’t sleep. Nothing seems to be helping.” 

 

Zisteau’s face is soft, despite the little creases between his furrowed brow, and there’s concern in his eyes, and his lips are pulled into a thin line. This is different. They don’t normally do this, video chatting. It’s something that’s just recently started happening, and he can’t say it’s a bad thing. “And this has been going on since the marathon?” His voice is also soft, with concern practically dripping from it.

 

“Yeah,” And he yawns, putting a hand in front of his mouth. “I’ve just got so much on my mind I guess.” It’s a soft admittance, just barely there, like he doesn’t trust saying it. But he trusts Zisteau completely. 

 

Zisteau eyes him through the screen, “This isn’t about losing Wolfie, is it?”

 

He looks back at him, eyes droopy and sad, dull, lacking of their usual mischievous glint, “No. No it’s not.” 

 

When he doesn’t talk, Zisteau does, “Then what is it about?”

 

“I uh. I guess I’m anxious about minecon,” He says quietly, staring at his hands, “Like what if people don’t like me once they meet me in person. What if they see me and are disgusted? What if I can’t do it? Can’t be the person everyone thinks I am? What if I am just this huge disappointment. W-what if I’m not good enough?” His eyes sting with unshed tears and his throat feels tight. “What if I’m not good enough?” His voice is just barely a whisper, tears threatening to break free, his eyes still on his hands, which are clasped together tightly, knuckles white.

 

“Kurt, hey,” Zisteau’s voice is soft, unlike he’s ever heard before; soft like freshly woven wool, and silky like a satin night shirt. “None of that is true. None of that will happen.”

 

“How can you be so sure?” 

 

“Because you, Kurt Jay Mac, are an amazing person, who is so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. No one's gonna hate you, especially not in person, because you are perfect.” Zisteau’s eyes are sharp with admiration, yet soft with concern, and his voice just the same. 

 

He looks up finally, swallowing around the lump in his throat, “You really think so?” 

 

“I don’t think so, I know so.” 

 

It’s like this fairytale moment then, with Zisteau looking at him like he hung the stars. His smile is so soft and delicate, lips turned up just at the edges. His eyes are soft, showing off so much raw emotion. In that moment, Kurt feels like he’s won something huge, and he can’t quite tell what. But, he can’t breathe, can’t blink, his mouth is hanging open slightly, lips just barely parted, and he’s staring at Zisteau, and he can’t stop. He can’t seem to move, to stop staring. He can’t breathe, and it’s not his anxiety this time. 

 

~~~

 

Zisteau  _ knows _ he’s being obvious; knows he’s probably giving himself away, but he couldn’t help it, not when Kurt was looking so sad, and so lost. He couldn’t just sit there and watch Kurt slowly break down like that, he just couldn’t. Especially now that he  _ knows _ what his own feelings are, not that he would’ve let Kurt go through that on his own to begin with, but it’s different now, so much different, in a way he can’t even explain. He almost hates that he has literal heart eyes for Kurt now, though he might’ve always had them, he’d never really know. But, now that they are video calling, it’s harder, he’s really gotta watch himself. He doesn’t want to ruin his friendship just because he went and caught feelings for his best friend.

 

But, with the way Kurt was staring at him, well, that went straight to his gut, in a way he was almost uncomfortable with, because this is his best friend. He  _ shouldn’t  _ feel this way about him, but he does, and that’s really a problem, especially since he had to take a minute to cool off. He hasn’t felt this way, ever, and he thought when he finally did it would be with some girl, not with a guy, specifically not Kurt. But now that he does feel this way, he  _ wants  _ and he wants  _ so bad _ . 

 

~~~

 

“Hey Lex.” Kurt sighs. He’s still tired, still hasn’t slept, but he wants to talk to Lexi, wants to feel the sisterly love he always feels like he’s missing now that she doesn’t live very close anymore. 

 

“Hey bud, what’s up?” She asks in that carefree way she always talks, like everything is below her and she can accomplish anything. He’s always admired her for that, and always will.

 

“Just miss you.” 

 

It must be something in his voice that gives him away, because she is immediately on his case, “What’s wrong?” And her voice is gentle now, like a feather in the wind. 

 

“I haven't slept in days Lex… and I had a panic attack earlier…. And… I’m just so tired.” 

 

“Oh bud,” Her voice is like a sigh, soft and comforting.

 

“I just don’t know what to do. And now… I just um… er… I don’t know what to um….” He has to stop before he works himself into another panic attack. He takes a few deep breaths, and Lexi is quiet on the other end of the line, patiently waiting for him to find the ground again. And when he finally speaks, his voice is strained, but clear, “How did you know you liked Mason when you first met him?”

 

“Woah, what’s with the questions bud?”

 

“C-can you just answer?” This isn’t something they talk about. This isn’t something they do. They’ve always been really close, but they’ve never talked about feelings before, and it feels strange bringing it up. But he needs to know.

 

She’s quiet for a moment, and makes a small humming sound before answering, “Well, I mean, it was like this feeling in my gut. I just kinda knew, not sure exactly, but it was just something that felt so real when I realized what was going on.”

 

“Did it ever feel like you couldn’t breathe?”

 

“Yeah actually. When we first started talking, he’d look at me with what Mom jokes is heart eyes, and he’d stare at me, and I just couldn’t breathe, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, just kind of a thing that happened.” She pauses when she hears his gasp, “Hey bud, why do you wanna know…?” 

 

“I-I think I like someone.” It’s quiet, just barely a whisper, his voice almost not there.

 

“Aww bud, that’s awesome!”

 

“But….”

 

“But?” She prompts. 

 

“But it’s a guy.”

 

She’s quiet for a moment, and his heart races for every drawn out second of nothingness. “A guy?” 

 

“Yeah….”

 

“Is he cute?” 

 

And that gets a laugh out of him, it’s so abrupt that it startles him a little. He’s never thought about it before, not really. Is Zisteau cute? He supposes he is. His smile is always so bright, and his eyes are gorgeous, with one being blue, and one green, he’s always loved that about Zisteau. “Yeah, he is,” He admits softly. 

 

He can hear the smile in her voice, “Is he straight?”  

 

“No, he’s not.”

 

“Hmmm.” She hums softly, “Do you think he likes you?”

 

“Lex, I don’t think there’s anyway he could.”

 

“Aw come on Kurt, you’re a real catch.”

 

He laughs, only somewhat bitterly, “Is that you just trying to boost my confidence?”

 

“No way!” She protests, “You’re adorable in a nerdy, clumsy way.”

 

“I don’t know if that was supposed to be a compliment or not,” He laughs, and now it feels light and happy, unlike the past three days. He feels okay--not perfect, but okay. 

 

~~~

 

He’s just finished putting away his leftover spaghetti when he heads to his office to make a video. He’s loose from his two glasses of wine from dinner, and the scotch he’s just started drinking, but he wants to record. He still hasn’t slept, not yet, but he’s starting to feel drowsy, and that’s probably thanks to the alcohol in his system, but he feels like he may actually sleep tonight; he hopes at least. Once situated, he opens up Minecraft and starts recording. He doesn’t really have a goal for this episode, besides cleaning up Beef’s prank. And, apparently rambling about Minecon and being comfortable with himself. He ends up talking for a long time, about everything and nothing at the same time. 

 

“And like, I’m not entirely sure what to do right now guys. I haven't slept in days, ever since FLOB-athon really, and now there’s this person that I think I like. Like, as in like I could date them…. Yeah, I think that’s how I feel. It’s confusing. Like, I didn’t really ask for this, it just kinda happened. And y’know, I normally wouldn’t tell you guys this, but I feel like I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I can; and I can be okay with it. It might also be the scotch, but that’s beside the point!” He pauses, stopping his mining and holding still, “Wait… what was I saying? Ummmm….. Oh yeah! So I made Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, and it was really good. Not really good like my Mom’s though, hers is just so good.”

 

He eventually signs off and goes through the process of editing the video, although he’s really not quite sure he did it right, he can’t quite remember what to do. It’s very confusing for him. He even gets it posted to Youtube, it’s the first video he’s posted in weeks, and he feels bad about it, but he’s also proud of himself for getting an episode done. Once he’s sure the video is properly posted, he makes his way to his room, tossing his shirt and jeans in the hamper before collapsing onto his bed. It doesn’t take him long to get comfortable, curling up on top of the blanket and hugging his pillow tightly, before promptly passing out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks to my lovely beta, TheAmazingPikachu

Hypothetically, Zisteau knew Kurt would eventually have a crush on someone. Hypothetically he knew that Kurt would find some girl who was beautiful and funny and caring, and he’d fall in love. Hypothetically, he knew this would happen. But, he wasn’t actually ready to face it. Kurt is a great guy, and he deserves so much. He deserves to fall in love with a girl who will love him back. He just wishes it were him who Kurt liked. But he knows that won’t happen. He’s just Kurt’s best friend, really just a random guy he met through Youtube. He’s just another guy, and that’s really all he’ll ever be to Kurt. He just wishes that didn’t hurt so bad.

He knew all of the things Kurt had said in the video were things he’d been anxious about. Kurt really did have a few good solid points about being okay with yourself and body confidence. He’s so smart, yet he doesn’t let himself believe it and that makes Zisteau a little sad. He hates seeing Kurt the way he did today, broken down and tired. And just so sad. But logically he knows Kurt will be okay, he’s strong enough to get through anything. The worst part about the video for Zisteau was the fact that he could tell Kurt was drunk. Not because he was more rambly than usual, or the fact that his words were ever so slightly slurred, like his tongue felt heavy, but because he was being open and honest about his feelings without having any issues sharing, especially with the fans; complete strangers no less. It took a long time for Kurt to open up to him and be able to talk about his feelings and his anxiety. And it’s kinda sad that he can tell that’s why he’s drunk. 

He shoots Kurt a message, knowing he won’t see it till morning, but he does it anyway. He may be a fool who fell in love with his best friend, but he’s also Kurt’s best friend and really just wants to make sure he’s okay.

~~~

The first thing he notices when he wakes up is how the sunlight streaming in through the curtains is far too bright. And the second, he really needs to be in the bathroom right now. He does make it there somehow, though he doesn’t really know how with the world spinning the way it is. After losing the contents in his stomach, he leans back against the wall, head falling back, eyes squeezed closed. The third thing he notices is the pounding in his head. This is the part he hates most about drinking, the aftermath of it all. His throat burns and his mouth tastes terrible, but he knows if he moves he might just make a beeline right back to the toilet. So he sits and waits a good ten minutes. Once he’s sure he’s not gonna throw up again, he slowly gets to his feet, wobbling slightly. 

He looks ghostly in the mirror, unnaturally pale and cheeks donning an unsightly hue of red. He brushes his teeth, and swishes mouthwash multiple times. He goes and lies back down in bed after properly shutting the curtains. His head aches, and he knows he should probably go and drink a glass of water and take some Advil, but he doesn’t want to get up. He pulls a pillow over his head, blocking out more light, and shuts his eyes. Maybe he can sleep this off. 

~~~

He does sleep, but when he wakes up his head is still pounding, but not quite as bad. He doesn’t feel the immediate need to run to the bathroom either, so that’s a plus. He slowly climbs out of bed, blinking against the light. He finds a pair of pajama pants and an old t-shirt and throws them on, feeling far more comfortable already, He makes his way to the kitchen and starts up the coffee maker. While the coffee is brewing he goes about making some toast and taking some Advil. Once his coffee is done, he adds a little bit of creamer and sugar to it before heading to his office with his coffee mug and plate of toast. His stomach decides to be nice and lets him eat the toast without too much protest. He sets the plate aside and pulls up Skype, which is glowing with a message. And he can’t help but smile when he sees who it’s from.

Z: Just checking up on you. You seemed really out of it in the video you posted. Hopefully the hangover isn’t too bad.

Now that confuses him. Actually, thinking of it, he doesn’t remember posting a video, let alone recording one. He doesn’t remember the previous night at all. Curious, he pulls up YouTube and sees a video recorded on the Mindcrack server, very brilliantly entitled “Beefing it up.” He clicks on it and watches, sipping at his coffee. By the end of the video he feels worked up. He definitely doesn’t feel okay, not at all. He can’t breathe, for starters, not like he’s supposed to be able to. It’s shuddery and coming in gasps and he can’t think. He can’t. His hands are shaking and he can’t stop the thought of exposing himself, giving away too much of himself to the fans from circling around and around his head. He needs to breathe, but he can’t, and he hates this feeling. He fumbles, fingers just barely able to grip the mouse as he clicks on Skype, and hits the call button next to Zisteau’s name. 

Zisteau answers after the second ring, “Hey Kurt! How ya feeling?”

He grips the edge of the desk, knuckles quickly going white. He needs to stop shaking. Needs to stop gasping for air just for it to not be enough to fill his lungs. 

“Kurt?” Zisteau asks, his voice practically dripping with concern. 

“Z.” Is all he can manage through clenched teeth. 

“Panic attack?” 

“Yeah,” He manages, but it’s shaky and barely there. 

“Okay Kurt, I need you to breath with me, okay.” And he doesn't answer, but Zisteau gets it, gets that his silence always means so much more than words. Zisteau’s face suddenly pops up, and Kurt stares, breathing still coming in shallow gasps. He watches Zisteau breathe, in one two three, out one two three. He repeats this over and over again, and Kurt follows along, his breathing shaky, but getting better. 

“I’m sorry.” He says eventually, his breathing still ragged, but mostly normal.

“Why are you apologizing?” Zisteau asks, and he looks so confused. 

“B-because you have to deal with me,” He shouldn’t be apologizing, he knows, but he can’t help it.

“Hey now,” Zisteau says softly, features relaxing, “You don't have to apologize; you’ve done nothing wrong.”

Logically he knows that’s true, but he can’t grasp that right now, not when he feels like he’s done everything wrong. “But I have. I was stupid and went and got drunk. I was stupid enough to think recording was a good idea! Why the hell would I think recording drunk was a good idea?” He takes a deep shuddering breath, “And I was stupid enough to go and talk about feelings. On. A. Video. I’m just so dumb! I’m so stupid and I’ve done so much wrong!” He hates that he feels like he’s about to cry, that any moment now tears could slip from his eyes and he wouldn't be able to do a damn thing about it. 

“You’re not dumb, or stupid, Kurt…” Zisteau tries, but Kurt cuts him off.

“But I am stupid Zisteau! I was stupid enough to go and catch feelings for you and then announce it to the world! It’s a damn miracle I didn’t say your name too. Ha! Wouldn't that have just been a big fucking mess.” And he stops talking because Zisteau is staring at him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. He doesn’t move, doesn’t blink, just stares. And that makes Kurt realize he’s sitting in his office, there’s a cup of coffee sitting beside him that’s no longer steaming, and Zisteau is staring at him and he doesn’t know why. “Zisteau?” He asks, and his voice is soft now. 

“You….” Zisteau finally starts talking, his body slowly becoming animated again. “You like me?”

Kurt’s eyes go wide, a blush rising to his cheeks, “What?” And his voice comes out too high.

The hope in Zisteau’s eyes vanishes, and he seems to collapse in on himself, and that makes Kurt’s heart ache, “You said you liked me. Is… is that true?”

He has to take a second to think about this. He thinks back over his words, and he may just be the biggest idiot in the world. He clicks the button to turn on his webcam, because if they’re gonna have this conversation, they need to be able to see each other, “Um yeah,” He admits quietly, looking directly at Zisteau, “I do like you.” 

Zisteau looks back at him, green-blue eyes keen and slightly watery. “Y-you really like me?” And he laughs slightly, like this is at all funny.

“I do, and I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. I’d understand if you never wanted to talk to me again.” He’s sad now. He doesn’t want to lose his best friend. 

“No, no no no no. Kurt.” And Zisteau laughs again, “You’re the guy.” 

That confuses him. He doesn’t understand what that means, not at first. But then it clicks, and everything makes so much sense, “You like me?”

Zisteau laughs, because that seems to be the only thing he can do, and Kurt loves his laugh. He loves it so much, “Yeah, I do like you. A lot.” 

They stare at each other for a few seconds, and they both start laughing, even though this isn’t really funny, even though this should be scary, it’s not. 

“What do you wanna do?” Zisteau asks, and he looks hopeful, but also concerned. 

“I’m not sure,” He admits quietly, “I really like you, but I don’t wanna do anything to ruin our friendship.”

Zisteau gives him a look, “I don’t wanna ruin our friendship either.”

“I kinda wanna give it a try, but I’m worried that if something happens between us that it’ll be extremely awkward and the fans will notice. Especially if we just stopped doing videos together, they’d get suspicious.” 

“But what happens if we decide to not try this?” Zisteau asks, “Then what? Because I won’t be able to hide my feelings anymore. I already had a hard time hiding them.” 

“How long have you liked me?”

“Um,” Zisteau hums softly, “I think I realized I liked you during my date with May.”

“Y-you’ve liked me for that long?” He almost can’t believe this. Can’t believe Zisteau likes him.

“Yeah, I have.” Zisteau declares and his voice has a soft lilt to it, which Kurt finds very endearing. 

“If we were to uh, try anything, would we tell anyone?” 

“I don’t think you would be comfortable with that,” Zisteau points out, eyes trained on him. 

“No, I don’t think I would be. But, if we were to, it wouldn’t just be about me. It would be about you too.” Kurt counters. 

“I think I wouldn’t really be comfortable with it either. I think we’d have to keep it to ourselves for a while, just to figure things out.”

“So, uh,” Kurt tries, and it feels awkward, “Do you wanna give us a try?”

Zisteau is quiet for a moment, looking contemplative, “I think I would. Do you?”

“Yeah, I think I do.”

They smile at each other, not breaking eye contact. And usually this would make Kurt uncomfortable, but right now, it’s perfect. 

~~~

“I’m still sad you have to miss Minecon,” Kurt says, head rested on his hands, eyes keenly focused on Tyler. And it’s crazy to think of Zisteau as Tyler, but they’re boyfriends now, and this is something he thinks is appropriate, that he should logically do. 

“Yeah I know, but my Mom is forcing me to go to the family reunion.” 

“You sure you can’t get out of it?” He asks with a sly little grin. 

“Trust me,” Tyler says, and his eyes are focused, pupils a little bigger than normal, “If I could, I would, because being able to be with you would be a thousand times better than family who are just gonna ask who I’m dating and when I’m gonna have kids.”

He laughs softly, eyes crinkled around the edges, “I think anything is better than that.”

“True,” And Tyler laughs too, “But I just wanna be with you.”

“I know,” He smiles, and it’s slightly sad, “But it’ll happen soon enough. One of us could always fly out to visit.”

“Yeah, we’ll have to do that. Soon.”

Kurt feels like he shouldn’t be okay with the way Tyler looks at him with desire, but it’s actually okay. It makes him feel wanted in a way he’s never felt before. And he kinda loves it. “Soon,” He agrees softly, “Soon.”


	5. Chapter 5

As Kurt walks through the crowded airport, he’s overwhelmed in the worst way possible. He grips the handle of his suit case a little harder, his knuckles going white, fingers shaky. He looks around, eyes darting from French sign to French sign. This is already feeling like far too much for him to handle. He takes a deep breath, holds it, then breathes out slowly. 

“Kurt! Hey!” 

His head snaps towards the voice, and he spots Bdubs and Genny, waving obnoxiously. He lets out a sigh and makes his way over to them. 

“Hey guys,” He greets, almost immediately being pulled into a hug by Bdubs, which he returns, despite feeling awkward and tense. Genny hugs him immediately after, and slaps his back with a huge smile. 

“Y’all ready to head to the hotel? I heard Guude has a bar picked out for tonight,” Bdubs grins mischievously. 

“You’re gonna get so drunk,” Genny laughs, nudging his shoulder against Bdubs’ playfully. 

“You know it brotha’.”

Kurt laughs, shaking his head slightly, “If we just stand here talking, we’ll never get to the bar.”

“Good point my man!” Bdubs slaps him on the back and turns on his heel, “Then let’s get going!” 

Kurt laughs lightly, and follows behind the two, his suitcase rolling behind him, his grip loosened; fingers less shaky. He’ll be okay.

~~~

Z: Just landed, all safe and sound ;) 

Tyler has been checking his phone every other minute as he sits on the couch. He can’t help it, he really wants to talk to Kurt. He really wants to hear his voice, or at least text him. He knows Kurt will be really busy, and not have a lot of time for him this weekend, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to talk to his boyfriend. He still marvels over that word, and that he gets to use it, that he gets to also be called that. It makes his heart swell with joy and pride in a way he’s never felt before. He’s been at his parents’ house for a while now, and he’s extremely bored, especially since his parents are out shopping, getting food and supplies for the get together.

It’s still all so new, too. This whole thing he’s got with Kurt, it’s nothing like he’s ever experienced before. It’s nothing like dating Amanda from high school, not at all. It’s something unique and amazing. He constantly feels so happy, and so much more confident. He smiled before, but he’s never smiled this much. His parents keep giving him looks, like they know something’s up, it’s a miracle they haven't asked him about it yet, though he’s sure it’ll happen soon enough. But he’s not sure he’s ready to tell them. It’s only been a week since they made it official, and it feels far too much, far too fast. Even though there’s so much he wants that feels like too much, but this, this is the icing on the cake. For one, he’s not ready to share Kurt with anyone yet, as silly as that sounds, and two, he’s not out to his parents, Kurt and Sam are the only ones who know that he’s… not straight, because even he’s not exactly sure what he is. He likes Kurt, and that’s all he needs to know for now, he can figure out all the other details later.

His phone pings with a text. 

K: Skype?

He smiles, grabbing his laptop and clicking open Skype. He hits the call button and sets the laptop on the arm of the couch, angled so the camera is on his face. 

“Hi,” He practically sighs, smiling at Kurt through the camera.

“Hi,” Kurt responds with a small smile, eyes droopy and tired.

“How was your flight?”

“Long, annoying, the usual.”

“Ah, I see,” He laughs softly, smiling lazily, “You’re adorable when you’re tired.”

“Am not.”

“You are though,” He squints at the screen, “You look so relaxed and content.”

“I am, now that I’m talking to you,” 

His heart swells at that, and he’s not sure what to say, but he smiles at Kurt, who smiles right back, and he loves this. “Any big plans for the night?”

“Ah, I’ve heard rumours of a bar.”

“A bar? Oh boy, you better be careful, wouldn’t wanna go rambling drunkenly about your boyfriend,” He wiggles his eyebrows, grinning mischievously.

“Why do you keep bringing that up?” Kurt groans, rolling his eyes, “You weren’t even my boyfriend then.”

“Nope, but I am now, so it’s my job to frustrate you,” He winks.

“You frustrate me enough, trust me,” Kurt says under his breath, just barely loud enough for Tyler to hear, and there’s this look that crosses his face, a distinct want. 

And Tyler chokes back a gasp, that look goes straight to his gut. He wants so bad. “Y-yeah,” He rambles out, and they just stare at each other. The tension is thick in the air, and Tyler’s not sure he’s ever wanted someone-- or something for that matter-- this much. He’s hard and he doesn’t know how to handle this situation, because Kurt is looking at him with his sleepy blue eyes that so clearly portray desire, and he wants so much right now, but he doesn’t know where the line is, they haven't had that talk yet.

“So uh,” Kurt clears his throat, cheeks and ears a delightful red. 

“Yeah, uh.” 

And they just stare at each other, eyes wide and cheeks red. A loud banging from kurt’s end scares them both, reanimating their still bodies. 

“Kurt! We’re gonna head out in about ten minutes if you’re coming!” Comes an unmistakable southern twang. 

“Um yeah, be down shortly!” Kurt yells back, eyes never leaving the screen. “I uh, better go and, y’know, cool off.”

Kurt says it so casually, yet he can still feel the tension in the air, and the way they’re looking at each other, it’s creating a fire in his gut. “Yeah… I uh, probably should too.”

“I’ll talk to you later, yeah?”

“Later, yeah,” He agrees and it comes out slightly breathless. 

They stare at each other for a few more moments before Kurt gives a little wave and disappears. He flops back onto the couch, his breathing slightly uneven. He didn’t realize he’d be so turned on by Kurt. That just seeing him like that could send blood rushing south. He’s never wanted another person like this before, not in this way. It’s terrifying in the best kind of way. 

~~~

Kurt splashes his face with cold water, and braces his hands on the edge of the sink. He takes a few deep breaths and slowly looks at himself. His entire face is practically red, and his ears too. He really needs to cool down if he’s gonna go to the bar with the guys. He one hundred percent can’t go down there with a boner, he’d never hear the end of that. It takes a while, but he does end up heading down to the lobby where the guys are waiting. He gets a bunch of greetings and shouts, which gets a glare from the lady at the desk, and they head out to the Ubers that are waiting for them. The bar is a typical bar, kinda dim lighting, tables haphazardly placed with far too many chairs and not enough space between them. It reeks of beer, piss, and sex, which isn’t an overall pleasant smell, but the promise of scotch makes the smell an after thought. 

Two glasses of scotch later, he’s loose and less anxious than before, which is nice, but that also means that the rest of the guys are much farther into drinking then him. Which is overly apparent when he gets cornered by Pause and Bdubs, who are both thoroughly drunk. 

“So Kurt!” Bdubs starts, his breath reeking of alcohol, “What was that video about the other day?” His voice slurs lightly on the end of words.

“What video?” He tries, giving them a hesitant smile. 

“The one about the feelings,” Pause inputs, leaning on Bdubs and waggling his eyebrows. 

“No clue what you’re talking about,” Maybe they’re too drunk to know what’s going on if he plays dumb. 

“Don’t try that with us mister! We both saw the video!” Bdubs practically sings. So no, they’re not that drunk, not yet at least. “So tell us, who’s the lucky girl?”

“There isn’t anyone, okay?” He really doesn’t want to be in this conversation right now. He looks towards the door, and it’s a clear shot if he really needs to get out of there, but his hands are starting to shake, and he may just need to get some fresh air. 

“But in your video, you specifically said there was a person you liked. And we’re all friends here, so you can tell us!”

He’s feeling shakier now, and he feels like he’s not gonna be able to breath soon, so he pushes past them and shoves his way through the crowded bar to the exit. He slumps down on the curb and takes a deep breath, then another. 

“Kurt?”

His head shoots up, eyes wide, and there stands Blame, looking concerned. 

“You okay?”

“I uh. Um. No, not really,” There’s no point in lying, not when he must look completely not okay at the moment. 

“I’m gonna get you an Uber to go back to the hotel.” 

He nods briefly, “T-thanks.”

Blame stays outside with him till the Uber pulls up to the curb, then he heads back in with one last worried glance and a nod. It’s a quiet ride back to the hotel, and he feels so tired all of the sudden, like all the energy has been sucked out of his body. He makes it back to his room before collapsing on the bed, feeling rather thankful for the single room. He pulls out his phone and sees a txt: 

Z: Is Pause wasted yet? ;P

K: Definitely wasted alright. 

It takes a few minutes, but a reply comes. 

Z: How’s it going?

K: Not so great

He can’t lie to Tyler, he doesn’t want to either, and that’s really saying something, because he’d usually rather deal with this himself and fake a smile than ask for help. But with Tyler, it’s different. 

Z: What’s wrong? Are you ok?

K: eh, not really

Z: ???

Z: Kurt?

He doesn’t know how to reply. Especially since Tyler knows that he’s not actually okay. His phone buzzes in his hand, and his ringtone blares, seemingly way too loud for the almost silent room. He hits the green answer button. 

“Kurt?”

“Hey Tyler,” He responds, and his voice sounds strained and tired, even to him.

“What’s wrong bud?” Tyler’s voice sounds so sincere and it almost makes him smile.

“Bdubs and Pause, they were both drunk,” He sighs quietly, his brow furrowed, “And they cornered me, asking questions about the video and the person I like…. It was just a lot.”

Tyler’s quiet for a moment, “What did you tell them?”

“I denied it.”

“And they believed you?”

“No,” He laughs slightly, somewhere between bitter and soft, “Not at all, but I left, so it didn’t really matter anyway.”

“If it’s bugging you this badly, then I think it does matter.”

“I mean, not really. Not now at least. It’s done and over with.”

“But Kurt,” Tyler says, and it’s slightly stern, “They crossed a line, and you shoulda called them out on it.”

“Tyler, please just listen to me, okay?”

“Okay,” Tyler says with a sigh.

“I know they crossed a line, but sometimes, especially with drunk people, it’s better to just let it go than pick a fight.”

“Yeah, yeah you’re right,” Tyler’s voice goes a little sad, “I just feel like I need to protect you, even though I know you don’t need it.” 

He smiles softly, leaning back into the pillows on the stiff bed, “It’s good to know that if I need protecting, I’ll have my man there for me.”

“Yeah, I’ll be there for you, always,” Tyler promises, his grin evident in his voice. 

~~~

“Tyler! You better be up!” Mom yells, sticking her head into his room. 

He drags his pillow over his head, groaning, “I’m up, I’m up.”

“No you’re not. Get up and get dressed, people will start arriving in like, an hour.”

“Okay, okay, I’m getting up.”

“You better,” She warns, and her footsteps get quieter as she heads down the stairs.

He groans and rolls over, grabbing his phone, pulling it off the charger. And he smiles, because his boyfriend is amazing.

K: Mornin’ 

K: You awake yet? 

K: Okay I know we’re in different time zones, but come on, it’s gotta be almost noon there. 

K: Tyleeeeeer I’m bored, come on, wake up

K: How are you not awake yet?

Z: Goodmorning :) 

The sun is shining through his open curtains, casting the room in a beautiful golden light. He left his window open last night, and now there’s birds singing happily, lawn mowers buzzing in the distance, the ruffle of leaves; It’s so beautiful, and he smiles, because he feels so fully and completely happy in this moment. 

K: Morning sleepy head

He glances at the blue numbers on the alarm clock: definitely not morning any more.

K: What time is it even?

Z: It’s only like 1 

K: Only 1

He can imagine Kurt rolling his eyes. 

Z: So what are you up to?

K: Just got done with the signing, panel is in a little while

Z: That’ll be fun

K: Eh, I think we have different definitions of fun

Z: We probably do, though I think we can agree on a few things ;)

K: You need to stop, you’re gonna make me blush

Z: Is that a bad thing though?

K: Right now, yes. Because the guys will get suspicious 

Z: Still don’t see the problem here

K: Of course you don’t 

Z: Why would I ;) 

“Tyler!” He drops his phone in surprise. 

“I’m coming!” He yells back, grabbing his phone. 

Z: I gotta go. Good luck with the panel!

K: Thanks :)

He gets up and pulls on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before heading into the bathroom. He brushes his teeth and puts on deodorant, giving himself a once over in the mirror, he snaps a quick selfie and sends it to Kurt on Snapchat. It’s barely a minute later when the snap is opened and screenshotted. He gets a selfie in return:

What happened to leaving?

Kurt’s blushing in the picture, and he screenshots it, sending back a picture of him winking, which Kurt also screenshots, but he gets no response. 

He heads downstairs, ignoring the photos on the walls of him from varying stages in his childhood, and slides into the kitchen on socked feet, phone still in hand.

“Anything I can help with?” He asks, eyeing the cookies on the counter.

“Last time you helped, the hot dogs ended up burnt.” She accuses, pointing her grease dripping spatula at him.

“So I’m taking that as a no,” He responds, backing up a step and holding up his hands in defeat. 

“Go see if your dad needs help, he’s in the backyard.”

“You got it boss.”

She throws him a look as he heads out to the backyard. His dad is setting up chairs around folding tables, while the grill smokes in the background. “Need any help?” He asks, trying not to scare him too much.

“Oh hey kiddo, finally up I see.”

“It’s not even that late.”

“Right, not that late,” He rolls his eyes, “Why don’t you go get the big blue cooler from the garage and fill it with the bags of ice and stick the beer in it and bring it out here.”

He does exactly that, dumping the ice in and putting as much of the beer in as he can, as well as some of the bottles of water and cans of pop. He smirks a little and sends a snap of the beer to Kurt along with a winky face. He gets a text back a few minutes later, and laughs softly. 

K: Don’t get too drunk without me ;)

Z: No promises ;)

He laughs softly to himself, staring at his phone with a smile. 

“Who you talking to, kiddo?” Dad asks, scaring Tyler slightly.

“Oh, just a friend,” He responds, slipping his phone into his pocket. 

“Just a friend?”

“Yes dad, it’s just Sam doing something stupid again.”

“How’s Sam been? It’s been forever since I’ve seen him.”

“He’s been good, just being his usual dorky self. Though he does have a fiancé now.”

“Oh does he? That’s exciting, who is it?”

“You remember Samantha, right?”

“The lightweight blond, right?” 

“Yup,” He laughs, “Their wedding is in September,” 

“And I haven't gotten an invitation yet, I’m offended. I’m gonna have a word with that boy.”

He laughs, “You do that dad.”

“I will!” He defends, grabbing a beer from the cooler.

“Starting already?”

“You’re not?”

He glances at the cooler and grabs a can too, “You’re right.”

“Thought so.”

Dad clinks their cans together and pops the tab, taking a long drink. He mimics him and slightly winces at the taste. 

Dad laughs softly, “You’ve never been a beer kind of guy,” He comments, giving him a long look.

“Not my cup a tea, but better than nothing.”

“Cheers to that,” He taps their cans together again. 

“What are you boys doing?” Mom asks, tone sharp.

“Getting ready, duh,” Dad says with mischievous grin.

“Your mom just got here, so you might wanna go say hi. You too Tyler, she’s waiting on you both.”

They take that as their cue and head back out of the garage, with Tyler dragging the cooler behind him. 

“Hey Grandma,” He greets when he sees her white hair and thin body come out the door. 

“Tyler! Get over here and give me a hug,” She all but demands with a sunny smile.

He obliges and gives her a tight hug, “How’ve you been?”

“Oh I’ve been good. But how about you, anyone special yet?”

He sighs, “No, I’m not dating anyone right now,” This was the part he hated most about these type of things. 

“That’s a shame,” She pats his cheek, “I’m expecting grandkids one day.”

He rolls his eyes, “I know, I know.”

She lets it go for now and moves on to talk to her son. 

Z: First gf question of the day

He sends to Kurt, which doesn’t get an immediate response, which makes him a little sad, but he knows the panel is happening right now, and he’ll be busy. He hates that he has to miss it, miss seeing his adorable boyfriend being all shy and awkward. He’d give anything to watch it, but no, he’s stuck greeting relatives he never talks to and fielding awkward questions about girlfriends and children. 

K: glhf

He gets a text a half hour later, and it makes him smile, a small, private smile.

Z: This isn’t uhc 

K: Close enough

And he can’t help but laugh, which gets him an odd look, but he couldn’t care less at the moment.

~~~

Kurt kicks off his shoes, tosses his keys into the bowl by the door, and makes his way to the bedroom. He’s tired and rumpled and smells like recycled air from the flight, but he couldn't be happier to be home. He flops back onto his bed, legs hanging off the side, feet a little sore. He rests his phone on his chest, the last text from Tyler still on the screen:

Z: I’ll call as soon as I’m home

He pillows his head in his hands and closes his eyes, taking in the softness of his bed and the slight coolness to the air. Minecon had been fun, and he’s glad he went, despite the few bumps in the road here and there, but he had a good time. He does wish Tyler could have been there too, it would’ve made him so happy. He really can’t wait to actually see him, and not just through a grainy laptop webcam. He wants to hug him and take in his smell, and kiss him. God he wants to kiss him, wants to know the feel of his lips and the taste of his tongue. It’s such a strange and foreign concept to him, but he welcomes it openly. He’s startled by his phone ringing, but takes no time at all to answer. 

“Hey,” His voice is soft and tired, and he smiles. 

“Hey to you too,” Tyler greets, and he sounds just as tired, but he can hear the smile in his voice. 

“Just get home?”

“Yeah, you?”

“Yeah, got home not long ago,” He yawns, cutting off his sentence, “How was the reunion?”

“Beyond being asked if I have a girlfriend, not bad,” He laughs and it’s a delicate thing, “But it would’ve been so much better to have been with you.”

“Yeah I know, I would’ve loved to have you there, but family comes first.” 

“As far as i’m concerned, you are family now.”

That causes him to blush, a rosy pink spreading across his cheeks, “Really?” he almost doesn’t believe he could mean that much to Tyler already.

“Yeah really, you mean a lot to me.”

“You mean a lot ot me too,” His voice is a soft whisper, as if anything else would shatter the moment.

Tyler laughs softly, sounding sleepy, “I’m glad,” And he yawns, long and drawn out.

“You wanna go to bed, sleepy head?” He loves calling Tyler sleepy head, and it seems Tyler likes it too, as he lets out a soft, breathy laugh. 

“Naw, I’d rather talk to you.”

“You sure?”

“Positive,” He yawns again, and Kurt laughs softly.

“Just don’t fall asleep on me now,”

“No promises,” Tyler pauses to yawn, “So about you visiting…?”

“And why does it have to be me?”

“Never said it had to be you.”

“But you did.”

“Mmmm, I don’t think so.”

Kurt laughs, smiling a small smile, just for himself and the slowly fading light in the room, “So about me visiting?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thanks to my lovely beta, TheAmazingPikachu!

Kurt stands nervously in the airport waiting area, his suitcase resting beside him as he scans the crowd, seeing unfamiliar face after unfamiliar face. He’s tired from the flight, and really wants a shower. But right now, his heart is beating a little too fast to be considered normal and his fingers are slightly shaky, but he’s excited. So excited. He wants to see him already. He’s so close. So close, he can almost feel him already, like there’s a ghost hugging him, fingers brushing against his chin, just a delicate touch. He just wants Tyler, right now. He tugs down his t-shirt slightly, and leans against a wall, looking out over the crowd again.

 

And that’s when he sees him. And he’s breathtaking in a way he never did realize over Skype. He’s wearing his signature blue jeans and purple twitch hoodie, which hugs his body in ways he  _ shouldn’t  _ be thinking about right now, because that wouldn’t end well… or it would, but that  _ also shouldn’t happen. _ Not now, it’s too soon for that. It’s too soon for a lot of things. But they have been dating for a month now, what with Minecon and the week before and the two after that he had waited, as this was the best time to fly out. But, that’s all an afterthought as their eyes meet and he smiles, so wide, and abandons his suitcase to walk over to Tyler, to meet him halfway. He wraps his arms around Tyler’s waist and puts his face in the crook of his neck and takes a deep breath. Tyler smells like coffee and mint and cologne, and it’s perfect. 

 

“Hi,” He sighs against Tyler neck, and he can feel the shiver run down Tyler’s spine, and it makes him smile.

 

“Hi,” Tyler responds, arms wrapped around him tightly, his head resting against Kurt’s. 

 

He doesn’t want to step back, he really, really doesn’t, but he also knows that he probably should. So he does, and he looks at Tyler, and he’s staring back at him with eyes that are too wide, and hold too much emotion to take in. And he  _ wants _ to kiss him; and now he can. So he does. He leans in, closing the minute space between them, and his eyes slip closed as his lips meet Tyler’s. His lips are warm and full, and it’s everything he’s dreamed of-- and yes, he’s dreamed of him a lot, more than he’d really care to share, or even think about at this moment. He tastes like coffee and minty toothpaste, and he never wants to stop kissing him. But, they’re in public, so he does. He pulls back enough to look into Tyler’s blue-green eyes and pulls his bottom lip between his teeth, as if that may just stop his smile from splitting his face. 

 

People are staring at them, a few smile, and the others are frowning, or look disgusted. It hurts to see that, it hurts in a way he wasn’t prepared for. But he doesn’t want to think about that right now, doesn’t want to have this ruined by some homophobic assholes. So he doesn’t think about it, he just focuses on the absolutely gorgeous man in front of him, and lets those people think what they want, because he’s got all he wants right here. 

 

And Tyler laughs, soft and personal, just for the two of them, “Well hi there, that was certainly an eager greeting,” He’s sarcastic and smirking like he always is, except it’s so much more real now that he can reach out and touch him, feel warm skin under his fingers. 

 

“Considering I’m your boyfriend, I’d say it’s not eager enough,” He grins, snark clear in his voice.

 

Tyler leans in ever so slightly, leaving his lips right by his ear, “How much more eager are you willing to get in an airport?” And it’s a breathy whisper, which sends a shiver down his spine. 

 

“A lot more if you don’t stop,” He whispers back, because right now, he is very turned on, and it’s gonna become more obvious if they don’t stop. 

 

Tyler gives him a devilish smile, and takes a step back, letting his fingers drag along Kurt’s stomach before resting them on his arms, “You’re very right. Now, I was thinking we could head back to my place and I’d make dinner. I know spaghetti and meatballs is a crowd favorite.”

 

And Kurt beams at him,  _ I love you  _ he thinks, and it’s far too soon for that, but right in that moment, he knows it’s true, and he’d like to keep that to himself for a while, “Lead the way.”

 

Tyler removes his hands and goes and grabs the suitcase by the handle, and starts wheeling it behind him. Kurt follows alongside him, and just can’t stop smiling. Once in the car, Tyler turns on the radio and drums his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat. It’s adorable and Kurt loves it. Tyler glances at him every so often, and smiles wider every time. 

 

“Eyes on the road,” Kurt teases.

 

“Sorry, it’s hard to focus,” Tyler replies, glancing over again briefly. 

 

“No idea what you’re talking about,” He quips, very purposefully staring at him.

 

“Oh har har, you think you’re funny, don’t you?”

 

“I actually do,” He responds with a smirk, “But so do you, to be fair.”

 

“You got me there,” Tyler surrenders, gesturing with his hands, before quickly returning them to the wheel. 

 

They pull up to a small blue house in a cute little neighborhood and Tyler parks in the driveway. He shuts off the car and turns in his seat, a soft smile on his lips, “I can’t believe you’re really here,” He whispers, reaching over and gently running his fingers along Kurt’s jaw. 

 

“I can’t either,” He murmurs back, his voice soft, like anything else would break the fragile moment. 

 

Tyler just stares at him, and normally this kind of thing would make him feel awkward and uncomfortable, but right now, it’s perfect. His heartbeat is normal and his fingers aren’t shaking. Tyler leans over the console and Kurt meets him halfway. Tyler rests his hand along Kurt’s jaw and cheek, caressing his face. And this time when they kiss, it’s soft and delicate, just a slow slide of lips. When they pull back, Kurt just looks at him, taking in the small little details of his beautiful eyes. How the one that’s green is like freshly budded leaves on a chilly spring day, and the one that’s blue, it’s like an ocean that’s too blue to be real, yet it is. 

 

“We should probably go inside,” Tyler suggests, his lips still just a breath away from his own. He could lean in and kiss him again so easily, really all it would take is to angle his head, but there’ll be plenty of time for that later. For now, he’s going to smile and soak in as much of Tyler as he can. 

 

“Yeah, we probably should.”

 

~~~

 

Tyler sets two wine glasses on the table, as well as a bottle of wine, which he opens and pours into the glasses. Before sitting down across from Kurt, he sets the plates on the table with a flourish, “Now I know this isn’t going to be restaurant level, but I like to think of myself as a decent chef,” Tyler grins at him, like he finds himself funny.

 

“Good, because I can’t cook.” Kurt replies, stabbing a meatball to try. And it’s really good, “Wow T, this is great.”

 

“Why thank you good sir.”

 

Kurt laughs and sips his wine. 

 

“So uh,” Tyler clears his throat, “We should probably talk about some stuff.”

 

“Stuff?” Kurt questions with a raised brow, gesturing for Tyler to continue. 

 

“Yeah, stuff,” He takes a long drink of wine, “Like boundaries. And what we’re comfortable doing.”

 

“Oh that stuff,” Kurt laughs a little, and reaches across the table to take Tyler’s hands in his own, “For now, I just wanna take it slow and enjoy our time together, okay? We’ll figure out that  _ stuff _ as we go.”

 

Tyler grins at him and squeezes his hands, “Okay, I think we can manage that.”

 

“Me too,” He smiles, and it’s soft and delicate, “Me too.” 

 

After dinner they head into the living room to watch a movie, one neither of them had seen. Tyler gets it pulled up on the TV while Kurt makes himself comfortable on the couch, tucking his legs next to him and leaning back against the soft cushions. He loves that everything smells like Tyler, a delightful mix of coffee, mint, and cologne. He loves that this house feels so lived in, and so Tyler in the cutest ways. Like how he has two matching coffee mugs on the kitchen counter, and little figurines from games that Kurt has never played scattered around, sitting on shelves and on tables. His favorite part though, is the little framed picture of himself sitting on the end table. He reaches over and picks it up, examining the dark stained wooden frame and the matte picture behind the glass. It’s one of the pictures he’d taken while he was on a hike, his cheeks were flushed red and his beanie was pulled low, and his jacket pulled tight around him, and he was smiling brightly. He could see why this is the picture Tyler would choose to frame. He looks up at Tyler, and smiles, because this is so totally something he’d imagined him doing. It’s just on the side of too cute and romantic, but screams Tyler. And he loves that.

 

He sets the picture back down gently, and looks back up in time to see Tyler staring at him with a light blush coloring his cheeks, “I hope you don’t mind that I have that,” He says quietly, the slightest hint of embarrassment in his voice.

 

“It’s sweet,” He responds, voice soft, “I’ll have to get a picture too now. Can’t let you out cute me.”

 

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Tyler moves over to the couch sitting down beside Kurt, close enough that their legs touch, “You’re literally the cutest person I’ve ever met.”

 

It’s Kurt’s turn to blush, and he does, the color quickly painting his cheeks and the tips of his ears, “Hush, I am not.”

 

“But you are,” Tyler boops him on the nose with the cutest smile and a playful look in his lovely eyes. 

 

_ I love you _ he thinks again, but says nothing, just smiles back at him, moving a hand to rest on Tyler’s knee. “Agree to disagree?”

 

“I think I can settle for that,” Tyler agrees softly, and leans into Kurt’s space a little more.

 

Kurt leans in just a little bit too. Their noses are almost touching, and he can feel Tyler’s breaths against his lips. He’s not sure who leans in, but they do, and this time, the kiss is soft, and sweet, and just a little more urgent than before. One soft kiss leads to another, and Tyler nips at his bottom lip and his hand comes up to rest on the back of his neck, pulling gently against the soft, freshly cut hair there. Kurt tightens his grip on Tyler’s knee and leans in a little, creating a better angle, less awkward and less nose bumping. He smiles, and he’s never really been happier in his life, than in this moment, tasting the wine and spaghetti from dinner on Tyler’s lips and his tongue, and being able to feel so grounded with someone like this. 

 

“You wanna watch the movie?” Tyler asks once they break apart, still close, Tyler’s hand still on the back of his neck, his hand still gently gripping his knee, their noses just a breath apart.

 

He kisses him one more time, just because he can, “Yeah, let’s watch the movie.”

 

Tyler hits the play button and the TV explodes with color and sound. He settles back against the cushion, leaning in closer to Kurt’s space and putting an arm across his shoulder, which Kurt happily takes as his cue to lean back against Tyler’s chest, and let him play with the hem on the sleeve of his t-shirt, and he’s never really felt more content with his life than in this moment. 

 

~~~ 

 

It’s dark when Tyler wakes up, the only light the gentle grey glow from the tv. He blinks, glancing at the clock on the wall. Two Thirty. He yawns, and stops mid motion as he sees Kurt. Kurt’s head is laying against his chest, his lips parted ever so slightly as he snores gently. He’s a solid weight against Tyler’s chest, and he actually loves it. Loves that he gets to see this side of Kurt, the playful, caring, sweet, loose part that only really makes an appearance around Tyler. He loves that he’s the one to evoke that in him. 

 

He doesn’t want to wake Kurt up, but he also kinda wants to go to bed, where it would be far more comfortable for cuddling. He gently shakes his shoulder, whispering softly, “Kurt.”

 

Kurt stirs slightly, eyes opening blearily, and he yawns, “Mmm?”

 

He can’t help but smile at that, and press that smile to his forehead, “You wanna go to bed?”

 

Kurt blinks a few times, sleepy blue eyes keenly on him, “Bed sounds nice.”

 

He laughs softly as Kurt slowly sits up. He sits up too, reaching for the remote on the table and hitting the power button, throwing the room into darkness. 

 

“You could’ve waited till I was in the room to do that, I’m gonna trip over something.”

 

“Eh, you’ll be fine,” Tyler laughs, standing up and taking Kurt’s hand, “I’ve got you.”

 

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing,” He comments with a small laugh, but gives Tyler’s hand a squeeze anyway. 

 

Tyler leads him to the bedroom successfully, and flips on the light, blinking against the harshness of it. He goes to peel off his shirt, but stops with his fingers gripping the hem, “What are you gonna be comfortable with?” He asks, eyes keenly on him. 

 

“Um, I’m not sure,” He starts slowly, eyes thoughtful, “But I think I’ll be comfortable with whatever.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

 

So Tyler pulls off his shirt, tossing it into the hamper. Kurt stares at his chest for a moment, pupils a little bigger than normal before he seems to snap out of it and goes over to his suitcase. He pulls out some clothes and heads towards the bathroom, letting his gaze linger on Tyler’s chest for a moment again. He smiles to himself, and grabs an old worn out t-shirt and pulls it on. He takes off his jeans, and opts to not put anything over his boxers. He hopes Kurt is actually okay with this, and not just lying to make him happy. All he wants is for Kurt to be comfortable and feel safe, and he’d do anything to keep it that way. But, then at the same time, Kurt has seemed so relaxed and… well… more physical than he’d imagined him to be. Not that he’s not enjoying it one hundred percent, he just wasn’t expecting it at all. 

 

Honestly, he’s enjoying it so much. He knew he wanted to kiss Kurt and do  _ other things _ but he never expected to enjoy just simply kissing him as much as he does. He never expected Kurt visiting to go like it has. He thought Kurt was going to be more shy and reserved and definitely not as physical as he has been. He still worries that maybe this is all just a ruse, but he supposes he could just be questioning his luck too much. Because there’s no way he should be able to have a guy like Kurt, that Kurt actually likes him in a way beyond friendship. 

 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Kurt asks and it’s quiet, right near his ear. 

 

He jumps, but looks over and smiles, “Just, y’know, thinking about my lovely boyfriend.”

 

“Is that so?” Kurt inquires with a little smirk, just the corner of his lips turned up as he pulls Tyler towards the bed. 

 

He goes willingly and sits down, crossing his legs in front of him. Kurt sits down too, facing him, and he’s still smiling that little smile, “I actually have a question for you,” He says, and Kurt’s little smile falters slightly.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I just… are you sure you’re comfortable with this? Like, being so physical and stuff… it just doesn’t seem like something you’d normally be comfortable doing.”

 

Kurt tilts his head to the side in the most adorable way and his smile returns, “Normally, I wouldn’t be comfortable with this. But nothing about this is normal,” He whispers, moving to his knees so he can lean in close to Tyler’s face, “You ignite this fire in me, Tyler. You make me crazy,” He brings a hand up and curls his fingers around Tyler’s cheek, “You make me feel brave.” 

 

Kurt leans in and kisses him. And it’s not soft like before, it’s urgent and he suddenly wants things to go farther. He can’t stop the groan that rumbles deep in his throat and Kurt pushes closer, wrapping his arms around his neck. They’re chest to chest now, and his heart is pounding against his ribcage. He can feel Kurt hard against his leg, and he can’t help but groan again. He’s hard too, and he  _ wants _ so much  _ right now _ . 

 

“Kurt,” He breathes between kisses, “Kurt please.” He almost hates that he’s begging like this, but they’ve been dating for a month and he’s been wanting this so much, and now that Kurt’s here, he wants it even more. 

 

Kurt pulls back ever so slightly, pupils blown wide, “What do you want?” He asks, and his voice is soft and slightly rough.

 

“Whatever you’re willing to give me,” He responds, though he’s not sure how he makes it through the sentence. His mind is fogged and he can’t think straight. He just  _ wants _ .

 

Kurt gets this smile on his face, it’s mischievous in a way that almost makes him scared, but seeing Kurt like this; seeing him so thoroughly okay with himself in this moment, that sends blood rushing south, and he can’t help but whimper when Kurt’s knee brushes against him. Kurt moves back and pulls off Tyler’s shirt in one swift motion and grins devilishly at him. And he doesn’t know how to handle this situation at all. Kurt sets his hands flat against Tyler’s chest and kisses him again, hot and dirty. 

 

He feels like this  _ should  _ be awkward, like it should be something completely different from what it is. But it’s not. Kurt is so comfortable and totally unlike himself in this moment, and it’s almost weird, but Tyler  _ loves  _ it. He loves Kurt. And he knows it’s too soon for something like that, such a big commitment in three words he’d have to say. So he doesn’t say them, not now, not here, when Kurt is being a tease with his hot hands roaming his chest and lips on his neck. But god he loves him. 

 

~~~

 

Tyler wakes up to the bed empty beside him. It feels cold, and it’s not something he particularly likes. But he doesn’t even get a chance to build up panic, not when the smell of coffee and bacon wafts in from the kitchen. He slowly climbs out of bed, stretching, feeling his spine pop. He blushes when he realizes he’s not wearing anything. And he can’t help but smile and find a pair of sweats to pull on. They hang low on his waist, as they’re an older pair, one of the ones that are really worn out from his college days, the logo almost completely faded by now. He pads his way out to the kitchen, and can’t help but smile, finding Kurt shirtless standing in front of the stove, a spatula in hand. This warms his heart and he smiles and never wants this moment to end, wants Kurt to stay here in this little bubble of theirs forever, but he knows their little weekend is already coming to an end. But he doesn’t wanna think about that right now, he doesn’t want to shatter this soft moment.

 

He walks up behind Kurt and wraps his arms around his waist, and places his lips against the top of his shoulder. His skin is soft and warm and he smiles against it. “Mornin’ bud,” His voice is soft and rumbly from sleep.

 

“Good morning sleepy head,” Kurt hums, flipping an egg in the pan. 

 

“So what’s all of this about?” He asks and steps back so Kurt can move away from the stove. 

 

“I woke up before you and thought I’d make us breakfast,” He moves the two plates to the table, where there’s already two coffee cups sitting, both steaming, “That is what boyfriends do, right?”

 

“I dunno, I’ve never had one before, but I’d say that’s probably about right.”

 

Kurt looks loose and relaxed in a way Tyler’s never really seen before. He also spots a nice and dark hickey right above his collarbone. Tyler takes a sip of his coffee, and loves that Kurt already knows how he likes it.

 

“I thought you couldn’t cook?” Tyler ponders aloud, after he swallows a mouthful of perfectly cooked bacon. 

 

Kurt grins at him, “I mean, I can’t really cook all that well.”

 

Tyler rolls his eyes and digs in. 

 

~~~

 

They’ve been lounging around playing video games for a while now, both still shirtless from the previous night, and it’s nice. Tyler even manages to snap an adorable selfie, one when Kurt was distracted playing the game and he kissed him on the cheek, and Kurt instantly blushed and looked towards him. It was probably the best picture he’d taken all weekend. After a while, they both got dressed and Tyler drove them to a little cafe downtown that he liked. It was a Mom and Pop kinda place, cozy and warm, and the food reminded him of childhood and home. He loves this place and wants to share it with Kurt. He wants Kurt to know every little thing about himself, from his favorite shampoo to his favorite places to eat. 

 

“What time's your flight tomorrow?” He asks after taking a sip of his tea.

 

“Ten,” Kurt replies quietly, an odd look on his face.

 

Tyler stares at him for a second, trying to figure out what exactly that look is. Anxiety, he thinks. It’s a common one, though he hasn’t seen it in a while, “What’s wrong, bud?”

 

“I just…” Kurt sighs, “I don’t want to leave.”

 

“That’s not it, is it?”

 

Kurt looks down at his hands for a moment, then back up at him, blue eyes focused, “No, it’s not,” He doesn’t break the eye contact, and Tyler knows that that’s one of those little things that Kurt always struggles with, yet he’s doing it for him. “I know it’s stupid… but I’m scared that when I leave, so will the feelings.”

 

“Oh Kurt,” Tyler smiles gently, grabbing Kurt’s hands, “That won’t happen, because I’m not going anywhere. I’m always going to be here for you, in whatever way I can, even if I can’t physically be there.” 

 

“Yeah, I know,” Kurt smiles back and squeezes Tyler’s hands, “Sometimes I just need some reassurance.” 

 

“I’m always willing to give it to you.”

 

“Good.”

 

~~~ 

 

Tyler’s just pulling on a pair of sweatpants, fresh out of the shower, skin soft and warm, when the doorbell rings. 

 

“Want me to get it?” Kurt calls from somewhere in the house.

 

“Yeah!” He yells back, “I’ll be out in a sec”

 

He grabs a shirt, heading for the foyer, where Kurt sounds super awkward, and Sam’s voice is very clear. 

 

“Hey Sam, what’s up?” He says, pulling on the shirt, feeling Kurt eyeing him. 

 

“I should be asking you what’s up.” He responds, giving Kurt an appraising look, “Is this him?”

 

He bites back a laugh at the borderline scared look on Kurt’s face, “Yes it is,” He puts an arm around Kurt’s shoulder, tugging him closer to his side, “Kurt, this is Sam. Sam, this is Kurt, my lovely boyfriend.”

 

Kurt blushes instantly, and Tyler loves it. He loves that Kurt is so thoroughly himself around him, that he gets to see this side of him, and the side like last night. 

 

“Hi,” Kurt offers with a little wave.

 

Sam goes in for a bro hug, clapping Kurt on the back, and he looks so uncomfortable with his life, “Nice to meet you dude! Can’t believe T got such a good looking man.”

 

Kurt tucks himself back against Tyler’s side, and he fits there like he belongs, like he was always meant to be there, “He did get lucky,” He laughs, grinning at Tyler. 

 

And Tyler’s never loved anyone  _ this much _ before. “Wow Kurt, way to dis me. I thought we were supposed to be on the same team,” He pouts at Kurt.

 

“Hey now, we  _ are  _ on the same team, but that doesn’t mean I can’t root for the other side every now and again.”

 

Tyler grins at Kurt, who’s grinning back at him, and they both start laughing. And they kiss, and it can barely even be considered a kiss because they’re both still laughing and it’s really just them pressing their lips together, but it’s perfect. 

 

“Oh my god, you guys are gross!” Sam exclaims, sounding like a teenage girl.

 

Tyler grins against Kurt’s lips, “Then go away.”

 

“And miss the show? No way!”

 

He tips his forehead against Kurt’s, and gently squeezes his waist, where his hands had fallen, and steps back, “What do you even want Sam?”

 

“Was just dropping by to give you these,” He holds out a few cream colored envelopes with gold trimming, “But I mean, I can come back if you were wanting some ‘private’ time.”

 

Tyler snatches the envelopes from him, giving him a look, “Good now go, we need our private time.”

 

Sam smirks, “What, can’t stay for the show?”

 

“Sam. Leave,” Tyler laughs, rolling his eyes.

 

“But seriously, those are the invitations for your parents, I couldn’t find their address anywhere, and I needed to drop yours off anyway. And of course you’ll be bringing Kurt.”

 

Tyler rolls his eyes again, “I’ll get these to them.”

 

“Thanks dude. Have fun you two, use protection,” Sam winks as he moves towards the door, “Oh and it was nice meeting you Kurt. Don’t break his heart, yeah? That would be a mess,” He throws out casually, “See ya!”

 

Once the door is closed, Kurt turns to Tyler, confusion written on his face, “Invitations to what?” He tilts his head to the side slightly, and Tyler loves it every time he does it. It’s adorable.

 

He moves over to the couch, sitting one of the envelopes on the coffee table. Kurt sits beside him, glancing at the envelope as Tyler opens it.

 

“For his wedding.” 

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah I know,” He laughs, showing Kurt the invitation, “He may not act like it, but he’s been dating Samanth for five years now, and he proposed a few months ago.”

 

Kurt takes the invitation, looking at the photo of Sam and Audrey, “They’re really cute together.”

 

“Yeah they are,” He agrees, kissing Kurt’s head.

 

Kurt smiles at him, and it’s soft and sweet, and he leans against Tyler’s side. Tyler wraps an arm around him, and loves how solid Kurt feels against him. 

 

~~~

 

Kurt’s head is laying on Tyler’s chest, and he’s fast asleep, snoring softly, with an arm thrown across Tyler’s waist. And Tyler, he loves this. He loves that Kurt is so comfortable with him. He’s gonna miss this. He’s gonna miss this so much, and he doesn’t want him to go. But, Kurt’s gotta get back to his life at some point. He’s gotta record more FLOB and rambly Mindcrack episodes and that silly car on a stick game he found. They still can’t stop laughing about that whenever it’s brought up.

 

But he really doesn’t want to think about any of that right now. He doesn’t want to break this little bubble they’ve created, this little life just for the two of them. Where Kurt can be as adorable and brave as he wants to be. Where they can laugh and hug and kiss and do other things without the world pressing down on them. Where none of the homophobic bullshit of the world matters to them. But as soon as they leave this house, there’s so much more they have to worry about. But here in this house, it’s just them, and nothing else matters.

 

He runs his hand up and down Kurt’s back gently, loving how soft his skin is. He looks down at Kurt, taking in his softly twitching lashes, his slightly parted lips, his adorable nose, his chiseled chin. He loves him so fiercely in this moment. It’s so sudden, and so strong, it almost takes his breath away. Especially with how the pale light of the moon is casting shadows across Kurt’s lanky figure, and lighting up his face. He’s gorgeous, and Tyler loves him. He loves him  _ so much. _ But it’s still too soon for that, so he presses a kiss to Kurt’s head, “I love you,” He murmurs, and Kurt shifts ever so slightly, hand curling and uncurling around Tyler’s waist, but he doesn’t stir. 

 

~~~

 

“I’m gonna miss you,” Kurt says, looking at Tyler through his lashes. 

 

Tyler’s heart swells at that, “I’m gonna miss you too, bud.”

 

He wants to reach out and caress Kurt’s face, and hold his hand, but he knows the looks they got at the airport just a few days ago. He knows that it bugs Kurt, even if he won’t admit to it. But he just wants to hold his boyfriend. He settles for a hand on his arm, squeezing gently. 

 

“I don’t wanna go…”

 

“I don’t want you to go either.” 

 

They just stare at each other with sad little smiles. People are rushing around them, yelling into phones, babies are crying, kids shouting and throwing temper tantrums, the intercom goes off every so often and it’s mostly static and a garbled voice that’s barely recognizable. The world keeps moving, and they’ll be okay. 

 

“I’ve gotta go,” Kurt says sadly, and takes a deep breath and puts on a smile, “But you’ll be visiting soon enough, so it’ll be okay.”

 

“Yeah, soon enough I’ll be in Chicago. And we’ll be together again.”

 

Kurt looks at him expectantly, biting his bottom lip, “I uh… I’m not really sure what’s okay to do here.”

 

He doesn’t know either. He knows that last time the looks they got weren’t great, but he really wants to kiss Kurt, “I don’t either,” he whispers, leaning in slightly, “But I don’t care.”

 

He kisses Kurt. He kisses him and he’s never been more in love than in this moment. He can almost feel the sour looks on his back, but right now, in this moment, he’s in love, and he feels so brave, and nothing else matter in this moment besides the man he loves. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shoutout to my lovely beta, TheAmazingPikachu
> 
> just a little note, the nsfw part of this chapter IS actually important to the story. But, if you're uncomfortable reading it, feel free to skip it and I'll put a little note at the end saying what happened! Enjoy!!

Tyler glances around the bustling airport, taking in all the people who are clearly in a hurry. Just outside the airport windows, he can see the towering skyscrapers in the distance. He’d never been to Chicago, and he can’t wait to finally see it. But he  _ really  _ can’t wait for Kurt to get here. It’s been three weeks, and he’s missed his boyfriend so much. His bed has felt far too big, and his house far too empty since Kurt left. He was only there two days, but he had carved out his own little space in Tyler’s life and home, and without him there, it’s just felt... empty. But now he’s here. He’s in Chicago, and he just wants to see his boyfriend again. He glances down at his phone, seeing if he’d maybe missed a text of a call, but it’s still just his plain lock screen, which is the adorable picture of Kurt and himself, playing video games, and the sneaky kiss on the cheek. It’s the best picture of the two, and as much as Kurt may gripe about hating it, he secretly loves it. 

 

“Hey there handsome, you waiting for someone special?” 

 

His head snaps up and he grins. Has he ever mentioned that he loves his boyfriend? And there stands Kurt, grinning like a fool in love, his hands held behind his back. 

 

“I think they just showed up, have you seen them anywhere?” He retorts, standing up and moving towards his dork of a boyfriend. 

“Ah, I don’t think I have, but they did have something for you?”

 

“Oh is that so?”

 

Kurt’s grin turns shy as he pulls a bouquet of roses from behind his back, “Yeah, it is.”

 

He practically melts. He  _ loves _ Kurt so much, “W-what’s this for?” He asks as he takes the flowers, not able to decide if he wants to look at them or Kurt. 

 

“Well, I saw this cute little flower shop on the way over here, and decided I’d get you some,” Kurt’s blushing like crazy, and Tyler loves it, “Plus, it’s kinda our two month anniversary.”

 

Tyler beams at him, and sets the roses aside to protect them and practically crushes Kurt in a hug, and spins him around and Kurt giggles, and so does he, and he’s so in love, “God, why are you so perfect?” Is what he says with teary eyes once he sets Kurt down and has his arms still wrapped around his waist. 

 

Kurt leans into him, smiling and still laughing, “I’m not, but I’ll let you think that.”

 

He can’t help but kiss him then. Can't help that he’s still laughing and smiling and it’s barely even a kiss, but it’s so perfect. He pulls back and sees a mother guiding her kid away, muttering something with a scowl on her face. That will never stop hurting, and Kurt seems to notice too. But he smiles, places both of his hands on Tyler’s face and kisses his nose, “Let’s go home, yeah?”

 

“Yeah,” Tyler smiles back, and nothing besides this man in front of him is important, “Let’s go home.”

 

He grabs his roses and his suitcase, which he insists on taking because it’s his, which gets a pout out of Kurt, and they head out to the car, keeping a respectable distance between them. Even if this is Chicago, there’s still so much homophobia, and judgemental people, and it’s going to be a struggle to be a couple out in the open, but they’ll get through it, even if they can’t really hold hands in public, and kissing in the airport is apparently frowned upon. They’ll get through it.

 

Kurt’s apartment is small, but feels lived in, and it’s so Kurt it’s almost adorable. He’s got random art hanging on the walls and his furniture is mismatched, but all works together. It’s not meticulously organized like his own house, but it’s so Kurt that it doesn’t really bug him. He toes off his sneakers and leaves his suitcase in the little entryway for now. 

 

“Do you have a vase I can put these in?” He asks curiously.

 

“Yup,” Kurt responds, popping the P in an absolutely adorable way, “In the kitchen.”

 

He follows him into the kitchen and watches as he grabs a cute glass vase from on top of the refrigerator and fills it with water, delicately taking the roses from him and putting them in the water. 

 

“There,” Kurt smiles, placing them in the middle of the small island, “So I was thinking we could go out for dinner, there’s this nice Chinese place down the street that I love,”

 

Tyler grins, “Sounds perfect,” He takes a few steps towards Kurt, crowding him against the counter, “But we don’t need to leave yet, do we?”

 

Kurt clears his throat, his hands moving to Tyler’s waist, pupils expanding ever so slightly, “I don’t think we do.”

 

“Good,” And he kisses him, slow and deep. 

 

He loves how Kurt’s hands grip his hips and how he instantly leans in closer, pressing their chests together. He puts his hands on the counter on both sides of Kurt and pressing him back into it, but not hard enough for it to hurt his back. Kurt groans at this, and it rumbles against his lips, and it’s not something he ever realized would be such a turn on, but it is. There’s this tension in the air suddenly, and it presses in on him, and he’s not sure exactly what to do about it. But, he’s already hard, and he can feel Kurt against him, half hard. They didn’t go very far last time, just a handjob, but now, there’s this ache for something  _ more.  _ So much  _ more.  _ And the tension in the air feels urgent, like something needs to happen  _ right now.  _

 

“W-what do you want?” He pants breathily against Kurt’s lips. 

 

“I… I want you,” Is Kurt’s breathless reply as he pushes himself into Tyler, gasping at the contact.

 

He pulls back just enough to be able to see Kurt’s eyes, “Is… do you…” He can’t seem to finish his sentence.

 

“Yes,” Kurt pants and kisses him fiercely, “God yes.”

 

That goes straight to his gut, “Let’s… bedroom,” He points behind him and Kurt nods quickly, eyes wide, pupils expanding farther. 

 

They stumble their way to the bedroom, and Tyler pulls Kurt’s shirt off as soon as he can, and tosses it away, not caring where it lands. He pushes Kurt back onto the bad and kisses down his chest, stopping at the top of his jeans, which he unbuttons, and gives a quick glance up at Kurt who nods again, and lifts his hips so Tyler can pull them off. He can’t help but groan, now that Kurt is naked, and laid out before him. He’s gorgeous. He pulls off his own shirt and stumbles out of his jeans and boxers, almost toppling to the ground in the process. He straddles Kurt’s thighs, making sure not to put too much weight on him, and he feels like this should be uncomfortable, and he should feel awkward, but he doesn’t. 

 

He leans down and kisses Kurt, now it’s slow and deliberate. It doesn’t feel rushed anymore, not really. It doesn’t feel like something needs to happen right now. Sure, he’s hard and it’s getting a little uncomfortable, but that doesn't really matter now. He moves to kiss at Kurt’s neck, and Kurt groans beneath him, his hips moving up against him. 

 

“I’ve… I’ve never done this before,” Kurt admits, voice breathy and rough.

 

Tyler has done this before. Okay, not  _ this _ exactly, but he’s had sex before, way back in high school when losing your virginity was a cool thing. He’s never been with a guy though, so it’s new for both of them. 

 

“I’ve never been with a guy before,” He says, and Kurt seems to get it, “Do-do you have lube and condoms?” He asks, and it feels weird, but also right. 

 

“Lube,” He points a thumb to his night stand, “No condoms.” 

 

“Are you okay with that?”

 

Kurt stares at him for several seconds, pupils blown wide. And then he nods quickly, “Y-yeah.”

 

“You’re sure?” He just needs to make sure Kurt is one hundred percent okay with it, that he understands what all of this implies. 

 

Kurt nods again, “Yes. Please just, please.” 

 

He reaches over and digs in the drawer of the night stand till he finds the small bottle. He rolls the bottle between his hands for a second to warm it up, before putting some on his fingers. He’s not really sure how this works. He’s never done this, doesn’t know exactly what he’s supposed to do, and it makes this whole thing feel more awkward than it was before. 

 

“Tell me if you’re uncomfortable and I need to stop,” He instructs, and Kurt is staring at him, and he looks like he’s uncertain too, but determined in a way only Kurt can be. 

 

“Got it,” He nods, and it’s like he’s giving permission. 

 

Tyler moves from his spot straddling Kurt’s thighs and spreads his legs. He moves between his legs to reach properly, and he slowly sticks one finger in. Kurt gasps a little and tenses, and he instantly stops, eyes darting to Kurt’s face. But Kurt smiles a tight little smile and nods. So Tyler slowly starts moving his finger in a little deeper, then pulls it out a little and pushes back in. This is more familiar, this motion. This he knows. He moves slowly the entire time, and glances at Kurt for the okay to add another finger. Kurt throws his head back and grimaces, clenching around him. 

 

“Are you okay?” He asks worriedly, stopping all movement. 

 

Kurt takes a deep breath, “Yeah, I’m good,” He nods too, and lets his head fall back against the mattress, “Just keep going.”

 

Tyler studies his face for several seconds, and he sees nothing there that would hint at a lie, so he starts moving his fingers again, and hesitantly adds a third one, which Kurt seems to take a little better than the last one. He finally slowly removes his fingers, whipping them on the sheets. 

 

“Ready?” He asks gently, eyes keen and searching for any signs of denial. 

 

But Kurt nods again, and gives him a smile, sweat already beading on his forehead, “Yeah,” He breathes, reaching out to run his fingers along Tyler’s jaw. 

 

He leans into the touch for a moment, and dips down to kiss Kurt, long and slow, pulling away slowly, and Kurt looks absolutely gorgeous right now, laid out and already a little sweaty, pupils blown wide.This whole situation is weird, for so many reasons, but it also feels  _ right _ , and right now seems like the perfect time for this too, “I love you,” He says, and it feels right.

 

Kurt stares at him, mouth hanging open slightly, his breathing a little ragged, and he blinks and then grins, “I love you too,”

 

Tyler grins back and kisses him again. And when he pulls back, Kurt is still grinning. 

 

“C-can you please…?” Kurt asks after several seconds of staring at each other. 

 

“Right,” He laughs breathily, moving back. 

 

He pours more lube onto his hand and slowly lathers himself up, moaning slightly at the sensitive skin. He lines himself up after a little maneuvering to get a better angle that’ll be less awkward, and slowly pushes in. He keeps his eyes on Kurt the entire time, and hates that he grimaces so much. Kurt’s hands grip at his sides, nails digging into his back slightly, but that actually doesn’t bug him, he really kinda loves it. Once his hips are flush with Kurt, he stops and takes a deep breath. 

 

“You okay?”

 

“Y-yeah,” Kurt says through gritted teeth, nodding. 

 

Tyler slowly starts to pull out, and pushes back in slowly. Kurt groans, head falling back against the mattress, eyes falling closed. He does it again, this time a little faster, and Kurt digs his nails into his back a little bit harder, and Tyler moans as his hips fall flush with Kurt again. He sets a slow pace, and Kurt is tight around him, surrounding him in heat. And he didn’t think it would feel  _ this _ good. 

 

“T-tyler,” Kurt groans out, fingers gripping Tyler sides, eyes slowly opening, meeting Tyler’s, “Please,” He begs, “Faster.” 

 

“You-you sure you’re okay?” He asks, his motion faltering slightly.

 

“ _ Please, _ ” The word tumbles out of Kurt’s mouth in a whine, low and drawn out in a guttural way full of want. 

 

And that’s all Tyler needs. He slowly starts moving faster, pulling out a little farther. Kurt moans, hips bucking up as he pushes in, causing his hips to hit against Kurt a little harder than he wanted, but Kurt digs his nails into Tyler’s back and arches his back, letting out a low, guttural moan, which Tyler takes as a good thing and mimics the action, pushing in harder and faster, and Kurt is gone beneath him, moaning and scratching at Tyler’s back. It’s a huge turn on, Tyler realizes. He manages to get Kurt to bend his knees a little, and it creates an even better angle for him, and when he pushes in, Kurt gasps, head pushing back into the mattress, eyes squeezed shut, nails digging into his back even harder.

 

“Tyler,” Kurt moans, “Tyler  _ please more _ .”

 

And Tyler does it again, harder than before, and Kurt looks like a complete disaster below him, back arched, eyes half lidded. And Tyler loves that he can make Kurt feel  _ this good _ . So he keeps going, harder and faster. His arms tremble from holding himself up and he’s breathing heavy, gasping for air. And then he feels it, the burn in his gut, the pressure building up to an almost unbearable level. 

 

“Kurt,” He breathes, “I’m gonna…” 

 

Kurt nods, “Just keep going,” And his voice is breathy and barely there, and he moves a hand from Tyler’s back down to his own throbbing dick, and strokes it in time with Tyler’s movements. That pushes Tyler over the edge, and he slams to a halt, coming hard enough to see stars around the edge of his vision. Kurt follows after him, shooting hot white onto their chests and the bed. Tyler leans down against Kurt slightly, gasping for air. He slowly pulls out, his dick sensitive and Kurt still tight and hot around him. Kurt whimpers once he’s pulled out, he’s like jelly against the sheets. Tyler rolls off of Kurt, falling flat on his back on the bed, his chest heaving, sweat dripping down his face, arms shaky. 

 

When he looks over, Kurt is already looking at him, with a blissed out smile on his sweaty face. Tyler reaches out with a slightly shaky hand and runs his fingers along Kurt’s jaw, “I love you,” He says, and it’s soft and breathy, and just barely there. 

 

“I love you too,” Kurt says back, his voice rough. 

 

~~~

 

They both take showers, after a long time just laying in bed, trying to breathe properly again. Tyler pulls on a pair of Kurt’s sweatpants, which are long on him and fit just a little snugly around his hips, but it makes him happy, and forgoes a shirt. He curls up on the couch feeling loose and relaxed. It’s not long before Kurt joins him in the living room, pajama pants hung low on his hips. He’s also not wearing a shirt, and his chest now has a few dark hickeys on it, and Tyler  _ loves  _ that. He moves around the couch to sit next to Tyler, leaning against him. Kurt’s skin is warm and soft from the shower, and he feels relaxed against him. He trails his fingers up and down Kurt’s arm, leaning his head against Kurt’s.

 

“Are those my sweatpants?” Kurt asks softly with a little laugh.

 

“Yup,” He responds, popping the P, mimicking Kurt from earlier, “You may never get them back, either,” He grins. 

 

Kurt gives him a look, “You didn’t put on underwear, did you?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“I definitely don’t want them back then.”

 

“I think after what just happened, it doesn’t really matter,” He grins goofily. 

 

“I don’t think we need to mention that,” Kurt retorts, shifting slightly to put more of his weight on Tyler. 

 

Tyler hums for a moment, “I think we do actually,” And his voice is more serious now. 

 

That makes Kurt look at him, eyes questioning, “What do you mean?”

 

“I just,” He feels awkward. When he first had sex, they didn’t talk about it afterwards, they just left it as is and broke up like a week later. So this is different, but nothing about this relationship has been normal, “You’re okay right? Like that was okay for you? I just wanna make sure you’re comfortable.”

 

Kurt smiles up at him from where he’s slouched against Tyler’s side, “Tyler, that was good. Really good. Sure it was uncomfortable and weird at first, but it felt amazing.” He sighs, sinking further against Tyler’s side, “It was good for you, right?”

 

“Amazing,” He breathes out. 

 

Kurt laughs a breathy little laugh, and glances at his phone, “Do you wanna order Chinese?”

 

“Too late to go out now?” He teases.

 

“No, but I’m too comfortable to leave.”

 

Tyler grins at that, “I’d love to order Chinese. If you give me the number I’ll call and order.”

 

Kurt stares at him for a moment with heart eyes, “I love you,” He grins and kisses Tyler. 

 

Tyler smiles and laughs, “I love you too,” And it still feels so new and exciting, hearing Kurt say that, being able to say it back. It’s amazing. 

 

Thirty minutes later Tyler goes to answer the door and pays for the food, despite Kurt’s protests from his spot on the couch, where he hasn’t moved from. He closes the door and comes back into the living room, setting the hot bag of food on the coffee table. He sits back down and Kurt moves behind him a little, and then there’s a finger on his back. 

 

“Does this hurt?” He asks softly, his finger tracing an angry red line across his lower shoulder blade. 

 

He winces slightly, “Not too bad.”

 

Kurt’s movements stop, “I’m sorry,” He says softly, chin resting on Tyler’s shoulder. 

 

“It’s okay,” He laughs softly, “I really enjoyed it.”

 

“It being?”

 

“Everything, including the scratches, that was like, a really big turn on,” His cheeks burn red at that.

 

“Really?” 

 

“Yeah. Really.” 

 

Kurt hums softly and moves to pull food out of the bag, handing one of the white boxes to Tyler, along with a fork. He grabs his own box and curls up beside Tyler again and turns on something random on the TV.

 

A little while later, after they’re both stuffed, Kurt’s phone starts ringing, it’s screen lighting up from it’s spot on the coffee table. He sighs and answers the phone. 

 

“Hey mom, what’s up?”

 

“Hey Kurt!” She greets, “I was just curious if you could pick up the cake on your way over tomorrow?” 

 

“Tomorrow?” 

 

“Your Dad’s birthday party? Did you seriously forget?”

 

“Shit.”

 

“Kurt,” She warns. 

 

“Yeah I can get it….” He pauses and leans back into Tyler, “You’re okay with me bringing a friend, right?”

 

“Yeah, as long as you pick up the cake.”

 

“I will, I will, what time?”

 

He can practically hear her glare, “One.”

 

“Okay, the cake and I will be there at one.”

 

“You better,” She warns and the call drops.

 

“Oh man, what did you do?” Tyler asks with a laugh.

 

“I kinda forgot my Dad’s birthday party is tomorrow….” He pauses, looking at Tyler with an uneasy smile, “You don’t mind going, right?”

 

“I’d love to meet your parents,” Tyler says with a small smile, “You’re not out to them are you?”

 

He frowns slightly, “No, I’m not,” he looks down at his hands. He doesn’t know why he feels ashamed, but he does. 

 

Tyler gently takes Kurt’s hands in his own, twining their fingers together, “Kurt, hey,” his voice is soft and he squeezes his hands, “It’s okay. I’m not out to my parents either. When we go tomorrow I can be whatever you want me to be.”

 

“You’re sure you’re okay with just being a friend tomorrow?”

 

“One hundred percent,” he smiles brightly, “Because as long as I get to be your boyfriend outside of your parents house, then it’s perfectly fine by me.”

 

“Of course you do silly, I wouldn’t want to hide you. I mean… at least beyond my parents, for now.”

 

“And I’m okay with that. And before you start to second guess it, I’m serious about this, okay? I just want you to be comfortable.”

 

Kurt giggles softly, brushing his fingers along Tyler’s cheek, “You always say that.”

 

Tyler laughs too, soft and breathy, “Because it’s true. From the very moment we started dating, I’ve just focused on you being comfortable above anything else. You were so shy I was afraid of being too forward. But then you show up and you’re basically all over me.”

 

“Sorry?” Kurt tries.

 

“No no, there’s nothing wrong with that, I just never expected that from you. You surprise me all the time.”

 

“Not like that’s a bad thing,” Kurt teases, lightly nudging Tyler’s shoulder.

 

“It’s not at all.”

 

~~~

 

“How should I dress?” Tyler questions, looking through his suitcase, “does t-shirt and jeans cut it? Or is that too casual?”

 

“I think you’re overthinking it,” Kurt says as he takes he grabs a shirt from Tyler’s suitcase and hands it to him, “Wear this one, it goes with your eyes.” 

 

Tyler grins at him and pulls the shirt over his head and tugs on a pair of jeans, “There.”

 

“Your butt looks good in those jeans. Why don’t you wear them more often?”

 

“I do, you just can’t see them over Skype.”

 

“Well it’s a damn shame. You have a nice butt.”

 

“Quit ogling my butt or we’ll never make it to the party on time.”

 

“It’s too bad we have to go,” He winks and moves to pull on his red converse.

 

“Yeah. We better go.” 

 

He laughs and moves to kiss Tyler, “Yeah let's go, my mom is already mad at me, no need to be any more upset. Plus it’d be obvious, because you like leaving hickies,” he playfully glares at Tyler, but he can’t be mad. He loves the little bruises covering his stomach. 

 

“I’m just making my claim.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Why yes it is,” Tyler grins mischievously, pulling Kurt closer by his belt loops. He kisses Kurt’s neck, sucking lightly. 

 

“Tyler,” He laughs, but doesn’t pull away. 

 

Tyler smiles against the soft skin of Kurt’s neck, and pulls back enough to kiss him properly. 

 

“You better not have left a mark,” He warns, but he can’t help but smile, because he really wouldn’t mind. Not at all.

 

“And if I did?”

 

“Then I’ll never hear the end of it.” 

 

“That would be funny.”

 

“It most certainly would not be.” 

 

“I beg to differ.”

 

“You can beg to differ all you want, but I’m leaving in exactly two minutes with or without you,” Kurt teases as he leaves the room, heading for the front door. 

 

Tyler stands there for a moment and just grins. He does go out and join Kurt by the door and they walk out to his car together. He turns on the radio as soon as the car is on and turns it to a station playing the top music. He grins at the side eye Kurt gives him. 

 

“What, you don’t like the music?”

 

“Some of it’s okay, but the new Taylor Swift songs are  _ terrible _ .” 

 

“Okay, agreed. Her music has really gone downhill since her country days.”

 

“Even then it wasn’t all that great.”

 

“True.”

 

They both laugh, and Kurt pulls up to a small bakery and parks. “I’m just gonna run in real quick, be right back.” Kurt says as he gets out. 

 

Tyler watches him go, and can’t help but stare after him. He really does have a nice butt. Which Tyler bets would look  _ amazing _ in black skinny jeans. He should definitely get a pair for him. Kurt’s back out pretty quickly with a big white cake box. He sets it on the back seat and climbs back in, buckling in. 

 

“Ready?”

 

“Ready.”

 

They arrive at Kurt’s parents’ house at exactly one o'clock, and Kurt grabs to the box from the backseat and they head to the door. 

 

“Kurt! Hey!” Lexie greets at the door, and her gaze immediately goes to Tyler, “I didn’t know you were bringing anyone.” A smile slowly makes it way onto her face, “No way. You brought him? I didn’t even know you guys were dating.” Her voice goes quieter as she speaks, though she looks just about ready to burst from excitement. 

 

“Uh. Yeah. Lex, this is Tyler. Tyler, this is Lexie, my sister,” Kurt says, feeling a little awkward.

 

Tyler takes it in stride, “I finally get to meet the famous sister,” he teases, “It’s nice to meet ya.”

 

Lexie just grins, “Just know, you hurt my little bro, and it won’t end well.”

 

“Shovel talk already, this is going well Kurt, don’t ya think so?”

 

“She’s serious. I wouldn’t take it lightly,” Kurt supplies, knowing full well that Lexie would probably literally hunt Tyler down if he ever did anything to him. 

 

Tyler puts his hands up in defeat, “I won’t, trust me. He’s a keeper.” 

 

Kurt blushes, “Alright enough,” he laughs, “I don’t need you embarrassing me.”

 

“Too late.” 

 

Lexie laughs, and takes the cake box from Kurt, “Why don’t you guys head in. Mom’s waiting for you.”

 

“That sounds promising.”

 

“You know it.”

 

Kurt heads in, Tyler following behind him. He instantly sees his mom, and she smiles brightly at him. She hugs him as soon as she reaches him. 

 

“Hey honey.”

 

“Hi Mom.”

 

“So, introduce me to your friend.”

 

“This is Tyler,” He says, pulling him forward slightly. 

 

“It’s nice to meet you ma’am.”

 

“No need to be so formal hun, just call me Lori.”

 

Tyler smiles kindly, “Of course. Thanks for letting me come.”

 

“It’s no problem at all.”

 

“Why don’t you go say hi to your father,” She says, nodding towards the living room, which was a sea of relatives.

 

He nods and goes towards the living room. He can feel Tyler right behind him, which is a comfortable reassurance. 

 

“Long time no see, Kurt.” 

 

Kurt stops and inwardly groans, “Hey Ian,” he tries for a smile, but it feels forced.

 

“Whatcha been up to,” He asks, leaning back against the sofa.

 

“Work and stuff, you?”

 

“Same. Got a girlfriend now, how about you?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Not surprised, you’ve always been an odd one.”

 

Kurt takes a deep breath, “Why thank you for that input.”

 

He smirks like the asshole he is, “Who’s your shadow?”

 

“I’m Tyler,” Tyler greets, squaring his shoulders. He was a good head taller than Ian.

 

Ian doesn’t look intimidated at all, “Why’s he here even?”

 

“He just happened to be in town, and I wasn’t about to leave him at my place.”

 

“Whatever bro.”

 

Kurt just rolls his eyes and walks away, Tyler right beside him, “What a jerk.”

 

“What was his problem?”

 

“He’s just an asshole, don’t listen to him. He’s never liked me for some reason.”

 

“I can tell.”

 

“I’ve learned to just ignore him.”

 

“Probably a good tactic,” Tyler laughs and squeezes Kurt’s shoulder gently, making it look like a friendly gesture.

 

Kurt smiles at him, and it’s a soft, private thing.

 

“Hey Dad,” Kurt greets as he approaches a balding man with blue eyes. 

 

“Hey Kurt.”

 

They shared a brief hug, and Tyler hung back just watching. 

 

“So who’s your friend?”

 

“This is Tyler,” He smiles.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, son, I’m Paul.” He greets, holding out a hand for Tyler to shake, which he does firmly with a confident nod. 

 

“It’s nice to meet you too, sir.”

 

“So what are you doing in town?”

 

“Ah, I’m on a bit of a business trip, and Kurt offered to let me stay at his place.”

 

“Yeah, I figured why have to pay for a hotel when I’ve got a spare room.”

 

“And we’ve been friends for years now, so I thought why not, y’know? Beats those crappy hotel beds.”

 

“How long are you in town for?”

 

“Just the weekend.”

 

“Well thanks for taking time to come over then.”

 

“It’s no problem sir, I’m glad to be here.”

 

Another person comes over and captures his attention. 

 

“Let’s go grab a drink,” Kurt says, pulling Tyler through the crowd and into the kitchen, where it’s quiet, nobody has wandered in here yet. Kurt grabs two bottles of water from the fridge and hands one to Tyler, who’s leaning against the counter. “I’m sorry about my family, they can be a lot to handle.”

 

“It’s fine, really, I don’t mind. They’ve all been nice so far, except for Ian, he’s a bit of a douche.”

 

“Trust me, I know.” Kurt laughs, and leans on the counter beside Tyler, leaving a little bit of space between them. “So I was thinking,” He starts, “After this whole party thing is, I wanna tell my parents about us.”

 

“I thought you weren’t ready?”

 

“I wasn’t. But now that I know what it feels like to pretend like you’re just a friend, I don’t like it. I just wanna be with you fully and completely.”

 

Tyler smiles at him, putting a hand on Kurt’s arm, “I love you,” It’s quiet, and barely there, but Kurt still hears it. 

 

“I love you too.”

 

Eventually, all of the guests file out, including Lexie, who has to go pick Goober up from daycare. Kurt and Tyler are sitting on the sofa while the parents say goodbye to everyone. 

 

“Are you one hundred percent sure you wanna do this. You know I’m okay with them not knowing.”

 

“I know you are, but it’s time they knew. We’ve been together for two months now, and I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon, and I don’t want to have to lie to them.”

 

Tyler smiles at him, leaning into his side slightly, “I’m glad you’re not planning on going anywhere, because I’m not either.”

 

“I’m glad,” He laughs, and it’s just a breathy soft thing. 

 

Kurt’s parents come into the living room and sit on the couch opposite them, both laughing. 

 

“So what are you guys up to after this?” Lori asks.

 

“Probably just gonna go back to my place and eat,” Kurt shrugs.

 

“Tyler, where are you from?” Paul asks. 

 

“Colorado,” He answers with a smile, “But I currently live in California.” 

 

They make small talk back in forth for a while, Kurt inputting when necessary, leaning back against the couch cushions, just trying to keep his breathing even. When there’s a lull in the conversation, he figures it’s as good as any.

 

“Hey mom, dad, there’s something I need to tell you.”

 

Lori instantly looks worried, “What is it sweetheart?”

 

He takes a deep breath, his shoulders tense and heart pounding. “So, uh…. I’m gay.” He says, and it comes out in a rush, “And Tyler and I have been dating for two months.” He feels really tense as he stares at his parents, who are both unmoving, frozen in shock, and it’s the most nerve racking few seconds of his life.

 

“Oh Kurt, honey,” Lori coos, “That’s lovely,” she smiles sweetly.

 

Paul looks at Tyler suspiciously, then glances to Kurt, and his face softens, “I’m really happy for you bud,” And then his attention goes back to Tyler, “You better be good to him,” he warns.

 

“Of course sir,” Tyler says with a small smile, resting a hand on Kurt’s knee, “I wouldn’t even dream of hurting him.”

 

~~~

 

Tyler wakes up the next morning with Kurt wrapped around him, skin warm and soft, body loose with sleep. He smiled, finding blue eyes already trained on him. 

 

“Mornin’ bud,” He yawns, running a hand up and down Kurt’s back, just under his baggy t-shirt.

 

“Mornin’” Kurt responds, blue eyes half lidded, as if he were barely awake. 

 

It’s quiet for several seconds, and then Kurt’s arms tighten a little around him, “I don’t want you to go yet.”

 

“I don’t wanna go either.”

 

“Can’t we just stay here forever?”

 

He laughs softly, “I’d be okay with that.”

 

“Me too.”

 

They both laugh softly, and Tyler presses a kiss to Kurt’s head, “We can stay here for a while longer though,” Tyler hums thoughtfully, “No need to be awake quite yet.”

 

“Good,” Kurt says softly, voice rough from sleep, and he tightens his hold on Tyler, “I wasn’t planning on letting you leave.”

 

“I had no plans on leaving, so I think we’re good.”

 

~~~

 

Kurt walks out of the airport, sad, but lips tingling. Seeing Tyler leave, or being the one to have to walk away was never gonna get easier. He knows it’s silly, but he already misses Tyler. Already misses hearing his voice and his laugh, and feeling his presence always right beside him. He gets in his car and just sits there for a minute, and takes a deep breath. He starts the car and pulls out onto the highway. He ends up at his parents’ house twenty minutes later, and doesn’t have the strength to go in just yet. He knows he’ll get bombarded with questions about Tyler and their relationship. It was gonna happen eventually, but now that it’s family dinner Sunday, it’s the perfect time for it. 

 

He heads inside, toeing off his shoes by the front door, and making his way to the kitchen where Lexie is already sitting at the table with Paul, while Lori is mixing something at the stove. Kurt sighs and goes to the cupboard to grab plates and silverware to set on the table, since nobody else seems to want to ever do it. 

 

“What’s with the long face?” Lexie asks after he’s sat down.

 

“Just dropped Tyler off at the airport,” He responds, and it feels weird talking about him like this. He’s never had anyone special in his life to talk to his family about. Not like Lexie who has Mason. 

 

Lexie’s face softens, “Couldn’t stay for longer?”

 

“No, sadly, he had to get back home. He does have a life beyond me.”

 

“Understandable,” Lexie laughs softly. 

 

Lori comes over to the table with a glass casserole pan and sets it on the table, and sits down, “So how did you meet him?” She asks, scooping some of the casserole onto her plate. 

 

“Through YouTube actually. We play on the same server.”

 

“How long did you say you’ve been together?” 

 

“Two months.” 

 

Paul finally speaks up, looking directly at Kurt, “How long did you know?” he asks in his gruff voice. 

 

“Know?” Kurt ventures, confused. 

 

“That you were gay?”

 

“Oh,” he says softly, “Well, uh. Just recently, really,” Now this is awkward, and he’s blushing hard, his ears a bright red, “I never really knew until Tyler. But I guess I’ve never really been into girls. I’m not really sure. But as soon as I knew I liked Tyler, well, I guess I just kinda knew.” 

 

Paul is quite for a moment, gaze lingering, “Well I’m glad you finally found someone. You always seemed so lonely in high school and college.”

 

“Dad,” he laughs, and it feels like all the tension is draining from his body. 

 

“It’s true! I wasn’t sure what was going on with you. But you seemed lonely. I think I kind of knew, in a way, that you were gay. Or at least not straight.”

 

“No way, I didn’t even know.”

 

“Well duh, but I guess a father just knows,” and Paul laughs a low chuckle, and everyone at the table laughs too, and honestly? It's perfect."   
  


 

~~~

 

“Y’know, for a second, I was seriously concerned that my dad was gonna like, not be okay with it. But apparently he’s known since like, high school.” 

 

“No way, that’s crazy. How’d he know?”

 

“No clue,” he laughs softly, “And Lex was all over my case about you. She wanted to know  _ everything,  _ mom did too.”

 

“Not surprised,” Tyler laughs, and Kurt loves the way the skin around his eyes crinkle slightly. It’s absolutely adorable. 

 

“Oh yeah, and I got that message from Guude earlier… oh one sec,” he gets up from where he was sitting on the bed and grabs his phone from the dresser where he’d left it and been too lazy to get it again until now.

 

“Is that my shirt?” Tyler laughs soft and breathy. 

 

“It sure is,” he winks, “As I was saying, Guude was asking about Pax stuff. You’re going, right?”

 

“Yeah, I planned on it.”

 

“Good, we’re sharing a room.”

 

“I figured as much. It’d be awkward to have to sextile one of the guys.”

 

He raises an eyebrow, grinning mischievously, “And who says we’d be having sex?”

 

“Let’s be real here. It’s gonna be a month till Pax, and we’re probably gonna go to a bar, and I won’t be able to keep my hands off you,” Tyler says, admiring the way his shirt fit loosely on Kurt, falling off his shoulder slightly. 

 

“Solid point,” he agrees.

 

“Exactly.”

 

They both laugh softly, “We’re still on for our Skype date tomorrow, right?” Tyler asks.

 

“For sure. I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” and he really wouldn’t.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so basically, the whole thing about the nsfw part is that there is a lot of trust that is established between them. and the first "I love you's" are exchanged.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is unbetaed whoops

“We’re just waiting on Kurt, right?” Guude asks, looking around the group. 

“Yeah, he said his flight landed a minute ago. He’s waiting for his luggage,” Tyler supplies, checking his phone. 

He frowns a little, seeing a few of their earlier messages. 

Z: I don’t think that counts as not being a big deal

K: It isn’t. It’s just my anxiety and I’ll get over it

Z: bud, please, just talk to me about this. I know the distance has been really hard, and I’m sorry we can’t visit more often, but you can’t just ignore me for almost a whole day. It really worries me

K: I’m sorry T, you’re right. I just can’t handle it sometimes and I fall off the face of the earth for a while

Z: Just call me next time, okay? 

K: I will. I gtg, flight’s about to leave

Z: Have a safe trip, see you soon <3

K: <3

He hates that Kurt had to go through a panic attack alone like that. He hadn’t even been busy, but Kurt didn’t feel like he could call him. It hurt a little, but he understood, in the abstract way that Kurt explained it. They needed to talk this out. As soon as they got to their hotel room they would; and he didn’t care how painful the conversation was, they really needed to figure it out. He wasn’t mad by any means, it’d just really worried him when Kurt hadn’t replied to any of his texts or answered his calls. But, it was the first time Kurt had really had a panic attack since they started dating, so maybe this was something he needed to expect in the future. Or maybe this was going to be a one time thing, and it’d be okay after this. He really hoped for the later.

“Kurt! Hey!” Guude shouts, and Tyler looks up from his phone and his frown deepens a little, his brow furrowed.

Kurt looks exhausted. Completely and totally drained. He hates that Kurt looks that way, and he couldn’t have done a thing to help because Kurt wouldn’t answer him. He just wants to run up and hug him and kiss him until he smiles a real smile, unlike the fake one he’s currently wearing, and just never let him go. But he can’t. And he hates that.

A few of the guys hug Kurt and clap him on the back, and finally it’s his turn, and he gives Kurt a tight hug, with a small whisper, “I love you,” not loud enough to be heard by the others, just Kurt: just a small reminder that everything was okay and he didn’t need to worry about him being upset. He smiles slightly at the whispered reply, “I love you too.” 

They follow Guude and the others outside where an Uber XL is waiting at the curb. He instantly claims a spot beside Kurt and discreetly squeezes his arm before keeping his hands to himself, no matter how much he didn’t want to. He wanted to wrap an arm around Kurt’s shoulders, or hold his hand. He just wanted some form of contact beyond their knees bumping together every so often when they hit a pothole. It was all friendly, and he hated it. He hated it so much. He hated acting like ‘just friends’, but he knew they couldn’t be more here, not surrounded by their friends or this city which was buzzing with Pax hype and thousands of fans. He just hated it so much. 

Once they reach the hotel, he gets their room key, and waves to the other guys, nodding at the shout about a bar later and they’d text them. Kurt walked beside him down the hallway, his suitcase rolling behind him. Not only did Kurt look exhausted, he looked sad. Sad to the point that it really hurt his heart, made it ache in a way he’d never experienced before. He was quick to unlock their door. He held open the door for Kurt, who smiled the tiniest broken smile, and that hurt his heart too. As soon as the door shut, Kurt collapsed against him, his head falling limply to his shoulder. 

“Oh Kurt,” he breathes out and wraps his arms around him, resting his head against Kurt’s, “It’s okay bud.”

“I-I’ve just missed you, so much and I couldn’t think earlier and I’m sorry I didn’t answer you… I was freaking out and I couldn’t breathe and I haven't had a panic attack that bad in so long I didn’t know how to handle it,” Kurt says in one breath, words running into each other as he rambles. 

“Woah, hey, bud,” He says calmly, and runs a hand up and down his back, “Breathe, okay? You’re gonna work yourself up into another panic attack.”

Kurt takes a deep, shuddering breath, “I-I know.” He does breath, slow intakes of air, and even slower releases. 

“Let’s sit down and talk about this, okay?” He asks gently.

“Okay,” Kurt agrees shakely. 

They move over to the bed, and he positions himself across from Kurt, and he almost doesn’t want to be able to see his face, because it’s tear stained and blotchy. 

“What triggered it?” He asks gently, taking Kurt’s shaking hand in his own. 

“I… I’m not sure. It was just a lot this morning. And I miss you constantly. And I was so excited to see you, until I realised that I couldn’t be your boyfriend in front of everyone. Then I was just sad. And I hate it. I hate feeling sad over something so stupid.”

“It’s not stupid. I hate it too.”

Kurt’s body seems to just deflate, “Why are we doing this to ourselves?” He asks quietly, eyes trained on him.

“I don’t know bud, but I hate it just as much as you do.”

“C-could we tell them?” Kurt asks after a few silent moments.

“Tell them, as in the guys?”

“Yeah,” Kurt frowns as he says this, brow furrowing ever so slightly, “We can trust them, can’t we?”

“I think so,” He ponders, “but why now? I know you were so iffy about it before.”

“Because now I know one hundred percent that I love you and I never want to be with anyone else but you, and I don’t want to have to hide around the guys anymore, it’s exhausting and what time we do get together, I want to be able to be your boyfriend.”

He grins at Kurt, his eyes teary and he smashes their lips together. The kiss is a mess of too much teeth and smiles and the salty taste of tears. “I love you,” and he kisses him, “I love you so much,” and he kisses him again, and he can feel the smile on Kurt’s lips. 

Kurt’s eyes are sparkling, “I love you too, Tyler.”

“We can tell the guys whenever you want, I don’t care, I just wanna be able to be with you.”

They both grin at each other, and it’s Kurt who starts the kiss this time. 

 

A while later, they’re startled out of their making out by both of their phones pinging with a text. Tyler grins and reaches around Kurt, who’d ended up on his lap at some point, to grab his phone from the night stand. It’s a message on the group chat about leaving for the bar in ten minutes. 

“We should probably go if we’re gonna go to the bar,” He says, and his voice is a little rough and breathy. 

“Right,” Kurt says, and slowly moves off of his lap, straightening his shirt, which Tyler had pushed up. 

“I don’t know how the guys aren’t going to know now,” he teases, “Your lips are totally swollen.”

“That was your doing.”

“Oh, and the hickey. That definitely doesn’t help.”

Kurt goes over to the full body mirror on the bathroom door and examines his neck, “Man, you just had to leave it in such an obvious spot?”

“Sorry?” He tries, but he can’t help the smile plastered on his face.

“Sure you are,” Kurt laughs, grabbing his phone and wallet from the dresser and pulling on his shoes, “Let’s go.”

He grins at Kurt and pulls on his shoes too, shoving his phone and wallet into his jeans pockets. He locks the door behind them and they walk towards the lobby, where they can already hear the guys laughing obnoxiously. 

“Should we?” He asks vaguely as they get closer to the shouts. 

“If you’re ready, then I’m ready,”

“Yeah, I’m ready,” he replied, holding out his hand for Kurt to take, which he does, and he gives it a gentle squeeze.

“What took y'all so long?” Guude laughs once they finally reach the lobby.

“We were starting to think y’all were getting down and dirty,” Pause says with a mischievous grin.

“You’re not wrong,” He laughs as they approach the group, “But we’re saving that for later.”

They all laugh, and then Pause stops. “Wait… you’re serious?” And everyone else stops laughing too, and suddenly everyone's eyes are on them and their hands, which are still held between them. 

“Um yeah,” Kurt says, and he’s blushing to his ears, “We’re serious.”

“Damn, get it guys!” Pyro cheers. 

Pause gets really serious suddenly, “Thanks for trusting us with this guys. But you will never live this down, you know that, right?”

Guude giggles, “Especially with that hickey Kurt.”

He grins at Kurt, “See I told you.”

Kurt slaps his arm, “I told you not to do that,” but he’s smiling and laughing softly. 

“You love it.”

“Yeah, I do.” Kurt gives him a quick kiss.

“Ew gross, you’re one of those couples.”

“Y’all let's go get drunk!” Guude announces, “Plus our Uber’s here, so let's go.” 

They all file out of the hotel and he gives Kurt’s hand a squeeze before dropping it. And Kurt smiles at him. Once they’re in the Uber, he sets his hand on Kurt’s knee and squeezes lightly, and he doesn’t move it, and he’s so happy, and Kurt seems happy too. 

~~~

He wakes up in the morning, and Kurt’s head is on his chest, and his head hurts. But he seems okay, beyond the bad headache. And if he’s being honest, waking up beside Kurt makes him so happy. It makes everything worth it. He runs his hand through Kurt’s short hair and takes a deep breath. He feels loose and relaxed, all tension and emotions from yesterday gone. And he feels good. He grabs for his phone, and when he turns it on, it’s far too early to be awake. Especially since it was still like an hour till they were gonna head to the convention center. He wants to go back to sleep, but he doesn’t feel like he can. 

“Why’re you awake,” Kurt mumbles, his eyes half lidded.

“I dunno, just am,” he responds, his fingers still combing through his soft hair. 

“What time is it?”

“Eight.”

“It’s too early,” Kurt mumbles against his chest. 

“You can go back to sleep, silly.”

“Mmmm I know.”

He chuckles softly, smiling lazily. 

“I think Pause probably has a few videos of us now,” Kurt comments into the quiet pale light of the morning. 

“With how drunk you were, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Hey now, you were drunk too.”

“I was, yes. But I also wasn’t the one who started grinding. That was you.”

Kurt plays with the soft hair on Tyler’s chest, “I missed you.”

He chuckles softly, “I missed you too.”

“I don’t ever wanna leave this bed.”

“I wish I could say we didn’t have to leave, but we have stuff to do today.” 

“Ugh. I know. But that’s not for another hour.”

“And what do you suppose we do with that time?” He asks softly, brushing his lips across Kurt’s temple.

Kurt grins slyly up at him, “I know exactly what we can do,” And he moves to straddle Tyler’s hips and it’s surprisingly graceful. 

“I like this idea,” Tyler hums, tugging Kurt down so he could kiss him.

~~~

They only ended up being the last people to meet in the lobby by like, twenty minutes. 

Pause wolf whistles as they walk down the hallway together, Kurt’s short hair damp from a shower, and messed up because Tyler really couldn’t keep his hands out of his hair, “Who do you think tops?”

“Probably Tyler,” Guude giggles.

Tyler just rolls his eyes and joins the group with Kurt at his side. 

“Kurt, you should probably let me put some concealer on those hickeys, or you won’t survive the signing or the panel,” Aurey says, laughing softly. 

Kurt slaps Tyler’s arm, and not too gently either, “You’re the absolute worst.”

“You love it,” Tyler retorts and catches Kurt for a kiss before he can go over to Aurey, who’s already digging in her purse. 

“Somehow,” He winks and goes over to Aurey, who’s laughing and grinning, looking like she just might explode from the cuteness of it all.


	9. Chapter 9

Coming out to the guys may have just been one of the best things they’ve ever decided to do. It’s been good, and anytime they’ve slipped up while recording with the group, they’ve been good about keeping it out of videos, though Kurt knows that the fans will continue to get more curious with the random cuts in videos or blurring of the chat. He knows logically that they won’t be able to hide this forever, because they aren’t quite as careful as they used to be. Not with being almost ten months into their relationship. Not with how close they are, even if they aren’t physically together all of the time, because it’s just not feasible with their paychecks to be traveling that much. But, they do try to travel once a month, varying on who flies where. And it just so happens to be Tyler’s turn to fly out to chicago, which Kurt is more than ecstatic about, because it’s been a little over a month since he last saw Tyler in person and he misses his boyfriend something fierce. Thankfully, his flight gets in later that day, and they’re gonna grab dinner before heading back to his apartment to just be together. Oh and another good thing, Tyler is staying for two weeks, which is longer than they’ve actually done in the past. And he’s excited. 

 

But as excited as he may be, time just seems to be passing so slowly. It feels like it’s been literal years since he got a text from Tyler saying his flight was taking off and he was gonna take a nap. Which Kurt gets, he likes to try to sleep on planes too, but he is actually going slightly crazy just waiting around all day. He even tries recording at one point, but he just didn’t have the focus for it. He can’t sit still, and he can’t focus, and he misses his boyfriend. It’s the absolute worst combination to have, because it means he gets zero things done, and lays around watching movies for hours, which leaves him feeling a little restless by the time he gets his shoes on to head to the airport, but being out of the apartment instantly helps with that. Being a the airport used to make him super anxious, because there are always too many people and too much noise, but now it’s not bad at all. Now he’s anxious because he really just wants Tyler to get there already. Because living across the country from your partner absolutely sucks. The second he sees Tyler’s purple hoodie, he’s running towards him and jumps at him, because he knows Tyler will catch him, and he does, spinning him around, laughing. 

 

He kisses him as soon as he can, because it’s been a month, and he loves this man, loves him with all of his heart. Tyler is just as enthusiastic about it, not seeming to care that they are surrounded by a whole airport of people, perfectly out in the open. They’ve gotten past that over time, they’ve gotten more used to being a couple out in public. They’re still not too keen with PDA, but the looks they sometimes get don’t bother him, or feel like an itch under his skin like they used to. 

 

“Hey,” he breathes, leaning into Tyler’s space, breathing the same air.

 

“Hey to you too,” Tyler laughs softly, stroking Kurt’s jaw lovingly, “I really like the new cut, it’s even better in person.”

 

He smiles sheepishly, running a hand over his recently buzzed hair, “Think it’s better than the old look?”

 

“Yeah, it’s a really good look. Plus now we match.”

 

He laughs and wraps his arms around Tyler’s waist, feeling the muscle there, “You really have been working out, huh?”

 

Tyler grins, “Yeah, I told you I was.”

 

“I mean, it’s hard to tell through a webcam. Even if you’re not wearing anything.”

 

Tyler’s cheeks go a little pink, “Well, I guess later you’ll really get to see, huh?”

 

“Mhm, I sure would hope so.”

 

“Ah, but dinner first, right?”

 

He laughs and carefully takes a step back, “Yes, dinner first. We’re going to that BBQ place you really like.”

 

“I love that place,” he grabs his suitcase and twines his fingers with Kurt’s, “You know how to treat your man, huh?”

 

“Of course I do, gotta make sure he sticks around,” he winks at Tyler. 

 

And all Tyler can do is laugh and bump their shoulders together, “You’re too much.”

 

“You love it.”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

It’s all so natural now, all the little things that he was never used to before. Like hand holding and little quick kisses. Like long hugs and falling asleep in the same bed as someone, and waking up that way too. It’s the coffee together in the morning, and the scotch later at night. It’s the dates and the days spent in. It’s everything, and he loves it all. Loves how normal everything has become. Dating Tyler is one of the most natural things he’s ever done, and he realises that more and more with every second he spends with Tyler. Even just eating messy BBQ wings and onion rings together in this little restaurant proves it. It’s easy and simple and fun. 

 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Tyler asks, eyeing him over the edge of his cup. 

 

“Nothing really, just that I love you, and I love being with you.”

 

Tyler’s smile goes soft, “I love you too,” he leans over the table to kiss him, and it tastes like BBQ and onions, and really should be disgusting, but it’s not.

 

“What was that park you said you wanted to go hiking at?” Tyler asks, going back to his wings.

 

“Oh, right, I forgot I mentioned that. It’s about three hours east of here. It’s on the border of Iowa. I was thinking, if you were okay with it, we could rent one of the cabins there and stay for a couple of days?”

 

“That would be awesome.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah, It’ll be a nice break from everything, plus I’m sure it’ll be really relaxing anyway.”

 

“Awesome, we’ll have to see about renting a cabin later when we’re back at the apartment, but anytime this week should be fine, as long as we’re here for sundays.”

 

“Oh? Got a hot date or something?” He winks.

 

“You’re actually the worst,” he laughs, “but no, family dinner at my parents house. We do it every week, and they heard you were gonna be in town, so you’re kinda required to come.”

 

“It’ll be good to see your parents again. It’s been a couple months. Especially since last time I was in town we basically didn’t leave the apartment.”

 

“Hey now, that wasn’t entirely my fault. You were so horny.”

 

“You were just as bad excuse you.”

 

“Can you blame me though?”

 

“No, not at all, because you’re hot and after two months without being able to touch you, it’s a miracle I even left to go back home.” 

 

“You’re lucky I let you leave.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Mhm, because if it were up to me, you would never leave…” and he stops short at that, because yes, it’s true, but that’s a bit of a loaded topic.

 

“Oh.” Tyler says, all the amusement and playfulness gone, “I-Is that something you would want?”

 

He almost spits out his sweet tea, “What?”

 

“Moving in together? Is that something you’d really want?”

 

He sputters, “Of course! I want that so much T. I miss you whenever you’re gone. And we’re always apart for so long.”

 

“I know, I hate it too. I hate leaving you.”

 

“We could move in together, if you really wanted that too.”

 

“Yeah. I do want that. I’ve wanted that for a long time now, I just didn’t know if it was too soon or how to approach the topic, because it’s just such a big thing.”

 

“It is, but you know you can talk to me about anything.”

 

“I know, I know,” he laughs, taking Kurt’s hand in his, “I was waiting to do it in person, so I could actually be here. Cause somethings have to be said in person, you know?”

 

“Yeah, I know. It is better that you’re here. In person. For more than that reason.”

 

“Okay mr. horny, you need to chill until we get back to the apartment.”

 

He laughs and squeezes Tyler’s hand, “We’ll discuss that moving in together thing later, but for now, why don’t we finish up and head back. Cause you’re right. I am horny, and I could really use someone to help me take care of that issue.”

 

Tyler can’t agree more.

 

~~~

 

Since Tyler got in on a saturday, that means that family dinner comes around sooner than later, and they head over to Kurt’s parents house around four the next day, with Kurt barring some nice new hickies, because Tyler is actually a menace, and can’t go one visit without marking up his neck. Though he can’t say he minds, because he really does love it when Tyler does it. He just wishes he’d do it in a less noticeable spot. Like his chest or his collarbone even. But no, he goes for his neck every time. Thankfully his parents don’t mention it when they get there, they both give him a hug and his dad shakes Tyler’s hand, and his mom hugs him, and they head into the kitchen, where Lexi and Mason are already sitting, sipping on wine.  

 

“Hey bro!” Lexi greets, waving from her seat, “Oh hey Tyler, I forgot you were in town, what’s up?” she starts laughing, “y’know what, never mind, I can see what you were up to.”

 

Kurt feels the blush down to his chest, “We don’t need to talk about that.”

 

“Mhm. You say that everytime.”

 

“And I will continue saying that every time, because this one here,” he punches Tyler’s arm, “is a menace.” 

 

“Hey now…” Tyler starts, but Kurt is quick to cut him off.

 

“Nope. Go, sit down. Be good.”

 

Tyler rolls his eyes, but sits down, and bumps Mason’s fist when offered, with a quick, “Hey man.”

 

Kurt goes about getting the plates and silverware, because literally no one else could be bothered to do it like ever, and sits down at the table as his parents come back into the room. Mom sits down and dad goes about plating the steak and potatoes. 

 

“How long are you in town for, Tyler?” Mom asks, taking a sip of her wine.

 

“Two weeks.”

 

“Oh wow, any special plans then? You never stay that long.”

 

“We’re actually planning on going camping this week, but beyond that, not too much.”

 

“Yeah, just gonna spend plenty of time together,” Lexi whistles, and he kicks her under the table, “That is not necessary.” 

 

“Sure little bro,” she supplies with a grin, “Like you didn’t pick on me about Mason when we first got together.”

 

“I mean, you did sneak in late so many times.”

 

“Wait what?” Mom and Dad ask at the same time, eyeing her.

 

“Man Kurt, look what you did. You weren’t supposed to say anything.”

 

He shrugs with a snarky grin, “Whoops?”

 

“You’re lucky you’re too old to ground young lady,” Mom warns, then looks at Kurt, “You too mister, or both of you would be grounded for _ months _ .”

 

“Eh, she’d probably still have snuck in even if you’d have caught her.”

 

“Why you gotta do this to me, bro?”

 

“Oh like you didn’t tell on me that one time I came home late.”

 

“That was  _ one _ time, I’m hurt.”

 

“I was grounded for two weeks.”

 

“Eh, that’s not so bad.”

 

“It is cause I never told on you!”

 

“I gave you hush money.”

 

“You’re point? I still would’ve kept quiet.”

 

“Oh so you’re saying I could’ve saved like a hundred dollars????”

 

“Well duh.”

 

“Oh my god,” she groans and lets her head thunk down onto the table, “You’re the literal worst.”

 

“Mmm no, that would be you.”

 

Everyone around them is laughing and Tyler leans into his side, “I see where you get your snarkiness from, jeez. Way to teach him Lex, he’s impossible.”

 

She smirks, “I try my best.”

 

“At least he’s not as bad as Lexi,” Mason supplies.

 

“What have we gotten ourselves into?” Tyler asks with a put-upon-laugh. 

 

“Hey!” Kurt laughs and slaps Tyler at the same time as Lexi does.

 

“It’s like they’re the same person,” Mom mumbles to Dad, who just shakes his head, laughing. 

 

After dinner, they head back to the apartment and curl up on the couch together, drinking scotch. 

 

“You and Lexi are really close, huh?”

 

“You could say that,” he laughs, looking up at Tyler, “We weren’t always this way.”

 

“Really? Cause it doesn’t seem that way.”

 

“Yeah, when I was really young, she hated me for no reason. But I think it’s because I was the baby of the family and a lot of my parents attention went to me instead of her.”

 

“What changed?”

 

“In Jr high, I got bullied a lot, and since she was only a grade above me, she ended up finding out. And we bounded over that. She helped out a lot actually. It’s not like she was my bodyguard or anything, but she’d buy me ice cream and we’d talk about it on the harder days. And it did eventually get better. In high school at least, though the bullying never actually stopped.”

 

“What? Why would anyone bully you?”

 

He shrugs, “probably because I was a nerd, and I didn’t  _ really _ fit in with any of the cliches. Y’know, the whole thing about being discriminated against if you don’t fit into what’s normal.”

 

“I think I may just know a thing or two about that,” he laughs softly and brushes his fingers along Kurt’s jaw.

 

“Ha, I think I do too.”

 

He laughs again and leans down to kiss him softly, “do you think we should maybe look into renting a cabin then? So we can make plans?”

 

“Yeah for sure.”

 

They end up booking a cabin for five days, with a check-in the next night.

 

“Do you even have the right clothes for this?” Kurt asks Tyler, because he knows Tyler likes to pack light.

 

“Ummm I actually don’t think I do. I think I only brought like one pair of shorts?”

 

“I guess we’re going shopping in the morning.”

 

“Are you just gonna make me try on jeans?”

 

“Now why would you think I’d do that?”

 

Tyler gives him a look, “Cause you’ve done it before.”

 

He smiles innocently, “Your butt looks good in jeans.”

 

He rolls his eyes, “You’re too much.”

 

“Am I though?” he asks, running his fingers up Tyler’s chest under his shirt.

 

“Most definitely,” he mumbles before kissing him thoroughly. 

 

~~~

 

After they go shopping, which does include some jeans, they make their way towards the campground. The ride is three hours, but it barely feels like that, because they talk the whole time.

 

“Since we want to move in together, whose place would we go with?”

 

“Um, I’m not really sure. I think it really just depends. Do you wanna move away from family?”

 

“I’m not sure? But what about your family?”

 

“They live in Boston, remember?”

 

“Right, I always forget. That’s why I haven’t met them still.”

 

He rolls his eyes, “We’re going there for christmas this year, so you’ll meet them then.”

 

“I know, I know,” he laughs, “my Mom is still mad about that. She really wanted us to be there for it.”

 

“But we’re doing Thanksgiving there, so it’s only fair we do Christmas with my family.”

 

“You try explaining that to Mom then.”

 

“Since she’s just as stubborn as you, I think I’ll pass.”

 

They both laugh, “I wouldn’t be opposed to leaving Chicago honestly. It’d be nice to go somewhere new.”

 

“Yeah, that would be cool, huh?”

 

“I mean, we could go anywhere, right?”

 

“I don’t see why not?”

 

“As a kid, I always wanted to go to Seattle, of somewhere around there. Though I could never convince my parts to take me.”

 

“We could always go there for a couple days to see? If we like the area?”

 

“We don’t have to. I’d be okay with anywhere, really.”

 

“No, no, I think it could be cool. I’m definitely okay with going to see it, and see if we think we could live there.”

 

Kurt smiles over at him, “Maybe we do that next month? Instead of me fly out to visit you?”

 

“So I can spend more on plane tickets?” he asks with a laugh, though there’s no heat behind it.

 

“Well, hopefully soon enough the only tickets we’ll have to buy are to go to conventions and to visit family.”

 

“I can’t wait for that...and not just for my bank accounts sake.”

 

Kurt slaps him, but keeps his eyes on the road, “Way to ruin the moment T.”

 

Tyler grins at him, “That’s what I’m here for.”

 

Once they arrive at the park and get checked in, it’s starting to get late. Which means no time for hiking, but they’ll have plenty of time for that in the next five days. They get to the cabin and dump their bags in the bedroom, and get the air conditioning going so they don’t sweat to death that night when they turn in. They end up setting up a small fire and sit by it to watch the sunset, which is absolutely gorgeous over the lake. The whole area, just from what they’ve seen, is beautiful. All vibrant greens and bright flowers. He can’t wait to go out and explore it more tomorrow, after they’ve hopefully had a good nights sleep. After a while, and the fire has gone down, they head to bed, in the thankfully cooler cabin. They do end up sleeping well, and after a coffee they head out to a trail to head up the path. The area overall isn’t very hilly at all, but there are a few good tall hills to climb. They tackle the smaller of the two and end up sitting at the top for the while, looking out over the lake. It’s a beautiful view.

 

“How much trouble do you think we’d get in if we went skinny dipping?” Tyler asks, eyeing the lake curiously through the trees as they’re heading back down the trail.

 

“Probably a lot?” He gives Tyler a look, “Public indecency is a finable offense…. and you can get arrested for that.”

 

“But if we go at night? Then no one will see us?”

 

“You just wanna fuck in the lake?”

 

“It sounds so harsh when you put it that way.”

 

“That definitely wasn’t a no.”

 

“You don’t?”

 

“I never said that.”

 

“Exactly?”

 

He rolls his eyes and slaps Tyler, “Is this some kind of high school fantasy you never got to have?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

“Okay, well, I’m not comfortable with that. Being naked in public makes me uncomfortable.” 

 

Tyler smiles gently, “We don’t have to, like at all.”

 

He laughs, “Good. But we can definitely do that when we get back to the cabin though. That I’m not opposed to. Though I could use a shower,” he winks.

 

“Y’know, funnily enough, I could use a shower too.”

 

They do end up going down to the lake for a swim, though it’s in swimsuits and they most definitely do not do anything beyond kissing--Tyler is a gentleman after all. The next day they rent a double hammock and set it up just outside their cabin, and lay around for a good portion of the day, enjoying the sun. 

 

“When would be the best time for you next month for the Seattle trip?” Tyler asks, looking at his phone.

 

“Um, one sec,” he pulls up the calendar on his own phone and looks at it over, “I have a couple things the beginning of the month. Lex’s birthday, Goober’s birthday, oh and a family get together my mom is forcing me into. So maybe like the last week of the month? If that works for you?”

 

“Ummmm it might? Oh shit no, it won’t. That week is Sam’s wedding.”

 

“Oh shit I forgot about that. Sam is expecting me to come, isn’t he?”

 

“Yup.”

 

“Hm, what if we went to Seattle the third week and then I flew back with you for the wedding?”

 

“Yeah, that could work.”

 

“Next month is gonna be expensive.”

 

“Yeah… what if we took a red eye back to my town. That’ll save a little bit of money?”

 

“That would definitely help save money. What day is the wedding?”

 

“It’s on a Friday, and the practice reception is on that Monday.”

 

“So if we fly back at the beginning of the week, for the practice reception, then I can probably stay through saturday and catch a red eye back saturday night?”

 

“Unless you wanna put off the Seattle thing till October?” Tyler suggests, eyeing him.

 

“I mean we could, but I don’t know if I really wanna. Cause the sooner we figure out where we wanna live, the sooner we can actually live together.”

 

“We’ll just have to watch our money a little closer then.”

 

“But we’ll be fine either way, because we have each other.”

 

“Yeah,” he smiles softly at him, “we have each other.”

 

They really don’t do much for the rest of the day, just lounge around and end up going for another swim in the lake. They drive into town and find a pizza place to have dinner at--which ends up being amazing--and a cute little ice cream place which has dairy-free ice cream, which is actually semi-decent. The next day they tackle the second hill trail, which takes a lot longer than they expected, and turns into a whole day hike. Though neither of them can complain because the view is simply amazing. Picture perfect even. By the time they’re packing up to head back to Chicago, they’re both a few shades darker and have a plethora of new pictures and selfies together. They spend the next day in the apartment, oder take out, and just lounge around. They do buy their plane tickets, and book a hotel room, but beyond on that, they take the day to just be lazy. Sunday they head back over to Kurt’s parents house for dinner. This time Mason isn’t there.

 

“Mason had an emergency at work,” Lexi explains when asked. 

 

“So Mom, Dad,” Kurt starts later into dinner, when everyone is mostly done eating, “I’m gonna have to miss the get together.”

 

“And why exactly?” Mom asks with a raised brow.

 

“Tyler and I are going to Seattle for a week.”

 

“And you couldn’t do that any other week?”

 

“No actually, because I’m busy the first half of the month, and then I’m going to Sam’s wedding with Tyler.”

 

“I actually won’t be able to do that weekend either, Goober has his play and I can’t miss it.”

 

Mom sighs, “How about the first weekend in October then? And Tyler, maybe you’ll be able to make it?”

 

“I can do that weekend,” Lexi says.

 

Kurt glances at Tyler with a questioning look, brow raised, much the same as his mother does, “What do you think? Maybe we can take the same red eye back here and you can stay through the week and then fly back after the get together?”

 

“Yeah, I think I can do that.”

 

Kurt leans over to kiss him on the cheek, “Thanks T.”

 

Tyler gives him a soft smile and wraps an arm around Kurt’s shoulder, “of course. But next time my family has a get together, I’m dragging you along.”

 

“Lets get through Christmas first,” he laughs. 

 

“Speaking of Christmas, do you boys care to explain why you’re going to Boston????”

 

“This is all you T,” Kurt laughs and leans back against Tyler’s arm.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so hey guys! I'm gonna be finishing this story, it's just gonna be slow going from here on out. I can't do the weekly updates like I was doing for a while sadly, because college is a bitch and so are finals. Plus I move back home next week! And I'll be starting my summer job working as a baker. I guess this is a life update, eh? Beyond this whole college thing, I've actually been getting some last things settled because a friend and I are moving into an apartment next year, which means no more student loans for me! My tuition is covered by a scholarship, and if I'm not living on campus that means I don't have to pay upwards of 12k. Plus I get to have my cat with me, my precious little boy. Anyway, beyond this story, I've really gotten back into writing. I'm working on another story for this fandom that's a good portion of the way complete, but I'm not 100% sure that I'll keep it exactly how it is--it tackles a pretty hefty topic, so I wanna make sure I do it right. The other thing I'm working on is an original novel! Yes oh yes I've finally gotten into writing truly original stuff. It doesn't currently have a name, the whole 40k words of it, but it's about a closeted professional hockey player who struggles with internalized homophobia, and the cute reporter who changes it all. It started as a creative final for my English class last semester, as a short story, but then it turned into what it is, and I'm still writing it. It's my baby at this point, and if you'd like to hear more, let me know! But I suppose that's it from me for now? No promise of when I'll be posting again because of finals, but I will be back soon! I'm trying to make a conscious effort at being more active--though I'm not very good about it.


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